SYDNEY — On May 8, more than 700 high school students here walked out of their schools to protest against the expected 23% funding cut to the education system and cuts to Austudy. MELANIE BULL interviewed LOU PASTRO and AARON BENEDEK from the United Secondary Students Union (USSU), the organisers of the day.
Question: What issues are high school students radicalising around?
Pastro: High school students radicalise around issues which affect their rights to free and accessible education. Students are also angered by the government's recent attempts to limit our freedoms, as seen by the new [NSW] street safety legislation and the law prohibiting skateboard riding in public places.
High school students are generally environmentally concerned, with massive walkouts organised during the anti-nuclear testing campaign.
Benedek: Often the problem is that students are not aware. When exposed to alternative media such as Green Left Weekly and solidarity organisations like Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor, high school student will radicalise around issues which do not directly affect them. Last year high school students successfully organised a 24-hour hunger strike for the Indonesian Political Prisoners campaign.
Question: How was the walkout built?
Benedek: The Education Department and the NSW government attempted to stop the walkout at every turn. The council did not give permission for the march, whilst school principals denounced the walkout in school assemblies and threatened individual activists with detentions and expulsions.
At Manly High, the principal used his own authority to cancel buses the students organised for the day, which the school's SRC was to fund. In some situation USSU activists hijacked school assemblies.
Pastro: USSU and Resistance distributed leaflets and posters to more than 15 Sydney schools. Fluoro stickers were produced and stuck around major bus stops and train stations.
Question: How did walkout go?
Pastro: More than 700 students officially attended. However, the rally grew in strength during the march. The students were very enthusiastic, with spontaneous speak-outs and sit-ins along the route. Everyone attending put their name down on the contact lists, with half of the rally joining USSU.
Benedek: It was very inspiring. There was a strong sense of solidarity between the high school and university contingents.
Question: What's next in the campaign?
Pastro: High school students will continue to be politically active. We will respond to any attacks the government makes on our freedoms and our right to education.
Benedek: We aim to keep up the momentum. We will fight until they take us seriously and we win.