Protests against privatisation of Student Loans Company

A ‘National Day of Action’, coordinated by the Student Assembly Against Austerity group (SAAA), is taking place today (20th November 2013) on university campuses all over the country.

This comes as a response to Government plans to privatise the Student Loans Company by 2015.

In June of this year, in fact, the Government announced their aim to raise £15 billion from the sale of public assets by 2020.

Hundreds of students and graduates from 26 campuses all over the country will take part in peaceful action against the sell-off, with activities including ‘debt obstacle courses’, banner drops, marches and occupations.

They are being supported by various MPs, including Caroline Lucas of the Brighton Pavilion constituency. She said “education is one of the most important rights we have, but the Government seems intent on treating it as a source of profit for private investors”, adding that students are “right to be angry and to peacefully protest against yet another harmful and unnecessary privatisation”.

The plans have been defended by David Willetts, the Universities Minister, who said that “students will not be affected by the privatisation”, but Fiona Edwards, of the SAAA has already announced that they will “cause a significant rise in interest rates”. She added that the Government should “drop this outrageous policy immediately or expect further protests in the New Year”.