Dutch students occupy university

[Wanted Man]

Dutch students occupy university [Economic, social, trade union, etc., Human rights] — Administrator @ 1:53 pm

http://www.trouw.nl/multimedia/dynamic/00277/bezetting_277821d.jpg

Student banners in Groningen university windows

After massive student actions in Austria, Germany, the USA, and other countries, today students have occupied the university of Groningen in the Netherlands.

From the students’ press release:

Years of budget cuts and a neoliberal [Thatcherite] logic have caused an ever-decreasing quality [of education]. In the context of the economic crisis these problems will only increase. After the government has pumped billions into banks, it now plans a 20 percent cut on education budgets. Students therefore are threatened by a freeze or even complete abolition of scholarships, increasing dependence on loans, raises of tuition fees, abolition of the public transport card and other issues worsening.

The problems that prevail now will therefore only increase. Students, but society as a whole as well, are ultimately the ones to suffer. Instead of kicking downwards, at students and staff, the [Groningen university] Executive Board should kick upwards, at the people who make these destructive policies.

http://dearkitty.blogsome.com/2009/11/26/dutch-students-occupy-university/

:cool:

[Wanted Man]

Student protests in the Netherlands

By Rob Kievit
Created 26 November 2009 13:57
http://www.rnw.nl/data/files/imagecache/must_carry/images/lead/groningen-academiegeb--flkr-BK59.jpg

Some 200 Social Studies students at Tilburg University in the south of the Netherlands have protested against a planned move of their school to another city.

The Tilburg courses are merging with those in nearby Eindhoven in an economy drive. Tilburg students, however, told the press they don't want to move. They say the relocation is unfair because they made a conscious decision to study in Tilburg. Many of them have found lodgings in the city.


Groningen
Students in the northern city of Groningen are also protesting. They are demanding more democracy at universities and want the Binding Study Advice to be abolished. The recently introduced Advice requires students who score an insufficient number of study credits in a given periode to leave university.


The Groningen students have occupied the university's administrative building and presented their demands to the board of governors. Police have surrounded the building, but say there is no reason to intervene.


http://www.rnw.nl/data/files/imagecache/favolist-3/images/lead/groningen-academiegeb--flkr-BK59.jpg (http://www.rnw.nl/data/files/images/lead/groningen-academiegeb--flkr-BK59.jpg)

http://www.rnw.nl/print/41917

[The Red Next Door]

I wish people would do this in the US in high schools.

[Bloody Kalashnikov]

lets hope they dont watch their national football team for inspiration, they will end up fighting amongst themselves and sabotaging their own hopes:(

[Wanted Man]

:lol:

The protest went excellently (not that I had anything to do with it or anything :)). The building of the university's board of directors was occupied all day, allowing for negotiations with the board regarding their plans. Late in the afternoon, a compromise was reached where many of the students' demands were met. Now it remains to be seen whether they will keep their word.

[Wanted Man]

I wish people would do this in the US in high schools.

Can't say anything about high school, but stuff did happen in universities: http://www.ktvu.com/news/21674608/detail.html

[Comrade Gwydion]

What was the deal made?
Was the planned BSA cancelled?
I heard they're thinking about BSA in Nijmegen as well, although I reckon they'll think twice after this.

[Wanted Man]

No, 40 occupiers and a couple hundred protesters outside could never force a complete stop to the BSA. If this demand was insisted on, the occupation would probably not have ended well. It's better to walk out with a whole list of achievements and go free, rather than get arrested en masse and be discredited for a long time, in my opinion.

A list of 7 demands was agreed on, however. Some of the most relevant ones that were met:


The university will struggle along with the students and the overarching university association (VSNU) against cuts enforced by the Education Ministry. This is important, because Groningen has always been a pro-active, fighting university, that did not simply accept government measures aimed at hurting students. If such a thing happened, the uni would be the first to provide buses for protests to The Hague. This has changed recently. The uni should stop kicking downwards at the students, and start kicking upwards at The Hague again.
The uni will intensify tutoring and guidance for 1st year students. This will not be at the expense of regular education, and students will not have to foot the bill for it. Very relevant for obvious reasons.
Positive elements from the "Rotterdam model" (a less rigid BSA-like measure) will be considered by an advisory committee, and put up for discussion at the University Council (the council includes the student fractions). It remains to be seen how this will work out, but if it will lead to a fairer situation, that is good for all students. Just as long as the struggle for better education does not end here.
The BSA will be reevaluated by Jan. 2012. This will include the council, and will lead to consequences if necessary. I wouldn't get my hopes up for this one, and if this was the only concession, it would not have been acceptable IMO.
Decisionmaking will once again be done by the "harmony model", i.e. consensus between the board and student council. This restoration is important, because the board has done everything in its power to circumvent this model recently. They basically already had their minds made up about the BSA, even though all the student fractions were against it. When this was revealed, two of the fractions (2/3 of the council) walked out of the meeting in anger. The third fraction suddenly switched sides, and now supports the board. A nice bit of salami tactics. This kind of shit must never happen again.
The occupants agreed to leave peacefully, and the board will not press charges for trespassing. That is always nice for obvious reasons. :p


With these things in mind, the occupation cannot be said to be anything other than a success. The fact that an occupation has accomplished so much, will make occupations a lot more fashionable in a student movement that has been relatively quiet for so long. Basically, the battle has been won, but the war is far from over. March 2010 will see all kinds of budget cuts come into action, and then we'll probably see a much greater upsurge in the student movement.

What are your opinions on this?