The Archbishop of Canterbury has been called on to help end a dispute between
a university and students who are continuing an occupation in protest at
rises in tuition fees.
The students have been staging a sit-in at the Senate building at the
University of Kent in Canterbury since December 8 and have remained there
throughout Christmas.
University officials aim to regain control of the building by seeking a
possession order at a hearing at Canterbury County Court on January 7.
But the five-strong group of students vowed to stay put indefinitely to
highlight their opposition to the rise in tuition fees and cuts in higher
education.
The students want the university and its vice-chancellor Julia Goodfellow to
condemn the Government's plans publicly.
They said their occupation was a reaction to Prof Goodfellow signing a letter,
published in the Daily Telegraph on December 8, endorsing a hike in tuition
fees.
Prof Goodfellow has since written an open letter in which she said she
deplored cuts to higher education funding, but the students said this did
not meet their demands.
The students have now written to the Archbishop, Rowan Williams, in the hope
that as a visitor to the university he will act as mediator to help resolve
the impasse.
No response has been received, one of the occupiers, 20-year-old philosophy
student Ben Stevenson, said today.
The occupiers said in a statement that the "savage cuts and substantial
rise in fees should not be under-estimated".
Their statement added: "We feel that education should be seen as a public
good and therefore a crucial investment, and that if education has to be
perceived as a commodity, then it is one of our last great exportable
commodities, and deserves to be protected.
"We oppose cuts that will result in university institutions being a
privilege accessible solely to the few.
"Our occupation is completely peaceful and we maintain consistency in our
objectives and feel this is imperative until our demands are met."
The students alleged that the heating was turned off during the cold weather,
that they have been unable to leave the building for fresh air and that
their internet connection has been cut.
People have been turning up with food donations for them and they have been
passing the time watching films and maintaining contact with supporters via
Twitter and Facebook using a 3G dongle.
The students intend to issue a letter to universities encouraging students and
staff to sign as a counter-measure to the letter signed by Prof Goodfellow
and other board members of Universities UK.
Their statement went on: "We have also been in contact with the Archbishop of
Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams. Due to his capacity as Visitor to the University of Kent, we hope he may act
as mediator in our current dispute with the university administration."
Fellow campaigners at universities across the country, including Bristol,
University College London and Leeds, all staged occupations but most ended
after two weeks.
A candlelit vigil will be held at 5pm on January 1 outside the occupied Senate
building to show support for the protesters.
The students added: "Our university occupation is now officially the last
running in Great Britain and we are aiming to maintain action throughout the
Christmas and New Year period until we feel that our demands have been met.
"We stand in solidarity with all those who are fighting the cuts and will
stand behind those sectors of the society who feel the force of the
Government's austerity measures which are wholly unnecessary, as these
reforms will not just impact educational institutions but all areas of
welfare.
"The struggle against cuts is ongoing and this occupation is one form of
opposition to the Government's austerity measures.
"If the movement against cuts is to have any impact then it will need to be
diverse in its methods, dedicated to its aims and well coordinated between
the various sectors of society."
Nobody from the university was available for immediate comment today.
In a previously-issued statement, it said the university had sought to
establish common ground with the students.
As the students had indicated no intention to leave, they felt it necessary to
take legal action and seek a possession order through the courts.
The Senate building is due for essential maintenance work and will be needed
for university meetings after the Christmas closure, it added.
SIC: TI/UK