Students from across the UK begin to demonstrate against Government’s green paper and Spending Review to ‘save education’

NCAFC says Government's actions have shown it is 'intent on waging ever more unjust attacks on borrowers and the low waged'

The NCAFC organised the demonstration against education cuts which took place on 4 November through Central London (Chris Ratcliffe/Getty Images)

Students on university campuses from across the UK have begun a day of action and occupations in protest against government reforms which will “completely devastate publicly funded education.”

Organised by the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC) - the network of student and education worker activists behind this month’s #GrantsNotDebt march through Central London - the group decided to mobilise and take action after the Government's green paper and this week’s Spending Review.

Earlier this month, the NCAFC hit out at the Government after it released its higher education green paper - the first major policy paper since the election. According to the group, the paper contained a series of changes, which, if implemented, “would further entrench the marketisation of universities.”

The group also added: “It would also mean governments could raise fees without even a vote in Parliament. This is not just an attack on education as a public service, it is a direct assault on the right of students and the wider public to scrutinise and resist future fee rises.”

Then, on Wednesday, Chancellor George Osborne confirmed plans to retroactively change student loan conditions and “raid the paychecks” of graduates on low and middle incomes in the Spending Review.

Despite 410 out of 489 respondents opposing the idea, the Government charged on ahead with the change, to which the NCAFC responded: “No other loan contract has a condition stating that the conditions can be changes on the whim of the creditor.”

Hope Worsdale, with the NCAFC national committee, said the Government's actions have shown it is “intent on waging ever more unjust attacks on borrowers and the low waged,” and added: “Our opposition must be as unflinching as their attacks.”

Recent graduate and NCAFC member, Callum Cant, also expressed disbelief upon learning of the confirmation of the plans. He said: “You can’t change the conditions on a mortgage, why should the Government be able to change the conditions on a student loan? Literally millions of students are being cheated.”

The NCAFC said it is expecting “lots and lots” of actions on campuses against the green paper throughout today and has urged supporters to take to social media and use the hashtags #SaveEducation and #EducationNotForSale.