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By Michael Tardif
Students took to the streets on August 24 to protest against the federal government's attacks on education. The actions were initially proposed at a noªfees demonstration in Canberra in May. In Adelaide, Emma Webb from the South Australian Education Network reports that 400 students marched from Adelaide University to the Department of Employment, Education and Training, briefly sitting down on the road to hear speakers on DEET's role in implementing government attacks.
Students continued to the Immigration Department, where they condemned the government's attacks on tertiary students who are not citizens. Under new legislation, up to 30,000 students are no longer eligible for Austudy and must pay their Higher Education Contribution Scheme up front.
Postgraduate student Simon Hall said that universities are planning to introduce fees for all postgraduate courses by 1997.
Students discussed future actions including giving Simon Crean a good welcome when he visits next week.
In Brisbane, 200 students rallied after a week of smaller actions. The rally was addressed by permanent resident students and concluded with a mock citizenship ceremony.
Students then marched to DEET, where police had blocked the entrance, and then to the mall for a sit-in.
The demonstration ended with Lisa Bryant, National Union of Students (NUS) representative from Griffith University, thanking NUS for organising the rally. Yet, Resistance activist Bernard Wunsch told Â鶹´«Ã½ that NUS had attempted to undermine the demonstration by organising a forum at another campus at the same time. The forum was cancelled at the last minute after student outcry. NUS did not contribute financially to the demonstration.
In Canberra Sarah Stephen, secretary of the Australian National University Students Association, reports that 100 students heard speakers condemn attacks against permanent residents and postgraduate students and debated whether ANU's student association should affiliate to NUS. Some pointed to the conflict of interest between NUS's domination by the ALP and the federal ALP government's attacks on students.
In Hobart, 100 students marched to the city chanting "No fees" and demanding that attacks on permanent resident students be stopped. The rally also called for an end to existing postgraduate fees and a ban on further fees. Resistance activist Natalie Woodlock described how overseas students, postgraduates and undergraduate permanent residents had been hit with fees. This will eventually lead to the introduction of fees for all students, she warned, unless it is challenged.
More than 500 students marched on the ALP state offices in Melbourne, where speakers condemned the racist implications of the attack on permanent resident students, and burned an Australian flag in protest.
The demonstration, organised by the Student Unionism Network, then marched to Melbourne University, where speakers included Leigh Hubbard from the Victorian Trades and Labor Council and Linda Memery, president of the La Trobe University Students Representative Council.
Memery highlighted attacks against students' right to organise under the Liberal state government's voluntary student unionism legislation.
Alex Bainbridge reports from Newcastle that 150 students rallied in Civic Park and marched to the office of local ALP federal member Allan Morris to present petitions against the attacks on permanent residents and shifts towards user-pays education.
Genice Davies, secretary of the student association, discussed the inadequacies of Austudy and the lack of affordable student housing. Sue Hill spoke about the increasing inequalities of access to education.
The action received strong support from academics at Newcastle University, who cancelled lectures and joined the action.
Arun Pradhan reports from Perth that a cross-campus rally of 150 students was held at Curtin University, organised by the Education Action Network.
Students from other campuses almost missed the rally when NUS refused to pay for buses to transport them. Buses were eventually supplied by the Murdoch University Student Guild and the University of WA women's association.
The rally passed motions in favour of increased tertiary education funding and against postgraduate fees, attacks on permanent residents and the introduction of fees for access to the internet.
Students criticised NUS for its failure to support the cross-campus rally and its refusal to endorse the previous national day of action.
In Sydney, 250 students gathered in Belmore Park. Permanent residents spoke about being squeezed out of tertiary education.
Students marched to the Immigration Department, where they were met by police. Robert Liu from the Network of Overseas Students in Australia explained that overseas students have to pay full fees, survive in a new culture and cope without any of the benefits afforded other students. Liu counterposed the current profit-motivated education policy to one based on equality and justice.
Police turned nasty when students attempted to enter through the main entrance; one student was taken to hospital for treatment of minor head injuries. The demonstration then marched on to the Law Society to protest against fees for many law subjects.
More than 120 students rallied and marched in Wollongong. Speakers included the president of the Wollongong University SRC, Mick Donaldson from the NTEU and Nikki Ulasowski from Resistance. Ulasowski urged students to continue building the campaign, arguing that to rely on either the ALP or the Liberals was a dead end.
From Darwin, Sally Mitchell reports that 40 people gathered at Northern Territory University to hear speakers from the student union, NUS and Resistance, as well as independent activists. A permanent resident spoke about being forced off Austudy, and visiting NUS education officer Mel Wheeler assured students of NUS' commitment to the No Fees campaign.
The NTU decision not to renew the contract of left academic Jim Jose was highlighted. Earlier this year fine arts students were without an art history lecturer well into the semester. Resistance activist Damien Palmer encouraged students to raise their concerns at an official NTU open day ironically titled "Open Your Mind".