● Young Greens will march alongside thousands of students to demand free education
● Green Party Leader Natalie Bennett, MP Caroline Lucas and Deputy Leader to speak at the rally
● Free education to be key election issue in 2015
Today the Young Greens will march alongside students from across the country to demand an end to tuition fees, student debt, and cuts to education services. The youth party, which has seen its membership increase by over 160% since March, has worked alongside NCAFC and the Student Assembly Against Austerity to organise the protest - expected to be the biggest of its kind in several years - which will carry the slogan “No Cuts, No Fees, No Debt.” (1)
Green Party Leader Natalie Bennett, Green MP Caroline Lucas, and Green Party Deputy Leader and Young Green Amelia Womack will be speaking at the rally, which will be held after the march at Old Palace Yard near Parliament Square.
Free education will be a key issue for the Green Party in the 2015 election. It is thought that the Greens’ strong youth policies have contributed to the recent success of the party, which has seen its membership increase by almost 90% this year alone, and has recently outperformed the Liberal Democrats in several recent polls. (2)
Speaking about the march, Amelia Womack said:
“Education is a social good - a well educated society is a flourishing society that is ready to rise to the challenges and opportunities of the future.”
Womack added:
“We must reject the market driven model of education that sees learning as nothing more than training for work, and students as nothing more than future workers. Free education is just one part of Higher Education reform that we must demand so that every person can be educated to the highest level that they are capable, with the knowledge and full range of skills they require to participate fully in society and lead a fulfilled life. That is why I am supporting the March for Free Education!”
Young Greens Co-Chair Clifford Fleming said:
“What is so beautiful about free education is that everybody can choose the subjects they want and love – it would reshape the current system which is facing cuts, closures and staff pressure. How could being thousands of pounds in debt ever encourage young people to go into further education? We need free education at all levels, so that everybody has the opportunity to follow the path that is right for them.”
1 The National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts, the Student Assembly Against Austerity and the Young Greens are all co-organisers of the march, details of which can be found here. NCAFC’s press release on the march can be found here.
2 Lord Ashcroft, 20th October; The Sun/YouGov, 30th October; The Sun/YouGov, 18th November