UWS students protest rationalisation

BY PAUL BENEDEK

SYDNEY — Students and staff from the Bankstown, Campbelltown and Penrith campuses of the University of Western Sydney rallied outside the vice-chancellor's offices at UWS Penrith on September 11. The action was dubbed UWS11.

The protest, which coincided with the first anniversary of the Melbourne S11 protest outside the World Economic Forum, was part of a campaign against the amalgamation of UWS campuses.

The amalgamation, known as the "Shape of the Future" project, is in reality a cost-cutting rationalisation that will slash $10 million from the UWS budget. Arts and welfare subjects are being axed, tutorials are overcrowded, student computer resources have been cut and car parking fees and library fines are being increased.

Brad Parker from the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union lauded the Whitlam Labor government for bringing in free education in 1974. Kerry Nettle from the Greens said that the current allocation of government money to private schools was too high. She urged all young people to enrol to vote.

Student representative council president John Maguire called for student control of student affairs and questioned how free education really was under the Whitlam Labor government. Genuinely free education would enable academics and students freedom to decide what they teach, as well as not facing financial barriers.

Student activist David Kopycinski questioned the Greens' emphasis on enrolling to vote. Only mass movements of people can win free education and more, he said.

From GLW issue 464