Today's Education Protests

Reports still coming in from today's actions against education cuts. On the South London front:

- Hundreds of college and school students set off from Goldsmiths in New Cross to take part in demonstrations, including a group who briefly occupied a Lloyds TSB bank at London Bridge for the 'inaugural lecture' of the University for Strategic Optimism, 'A university based on the principal of free and open education, a return of politics to the public, and the politicisation of public space' (film clip below).



- students have occupied the Language Centre (threatened with closure) at South Bank University, Elephant and Castle. They have issued a statement tonight: 'Today has been a momentous occasion for the student movement and the wider campaign against the coalition government’s ‘austerity cuts’ across the country. We offer our solidarity to all those students protesting today including those ‘kettled’ in Central London, the thirteen students arrested in today’s protests and those students from Rednock School, Gloucestershire, excluded for walking out, all in protest to the cuts in education funding and rise of university tuition fees'

- There were protests at various schools - the Standard reports that 'Around 60 students at John Roan School in Greenwich were among the first to walk out of class'. Anti-cuts reported earlier that 'students from Crossways sixth form are on their way to Trafalgar Sq. Blocking the local roads as they go!' (Crossways is in Sprules Road, SE4). At other schools, staff prevented students from leaving. For instance at Sydenham Girls a crowd gathered in morning break, but staff blocked the exit. Small groups got out later. Similar scenes at Forest Hill Boys. Still waiting to hear what happened at Haberdashers' Aske's in New Cross and elsewhere.

Anyone from South London schools or colleges take part? -Let us know what happened where you were.