Brilliant poet Bertolt Brecht once said: “The worst illiterate is the political illiterate, he doesn't hear, doesn't speak, nor participates in political events. He doesn't know the cost of life; the price of the bean, of the fish, of the rent, of the shoes and of the medicine, all depends on political decisions.
“The political illiterate is so stupid that he swells his chest saying he hates politics. The imbecile doesn't know that from his political ignorance is born the prostitute, the abandoned child and worst things of all, the bad politician."
The first section of article 26 of the UN Declaration of Rights says: "Everyone has the right to education ... Education shall be free."
Though it doesn't seem the Australian government respects that right anymore.
As Australians, we live in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. I find it hard to believe that cutting funds from higher education to distribute to school education is a valid plan. It really insults our intelligence.
It's ridiculous that this same government has billions of dollars to send the military to occupy other countries. It's ridiculous that this government needs to spend billions of dollars on spy drones that are used in military combat to fly over our skies. It's ridiculous that this government decides to make university students on welfare pay thousands of dollars more than they already need to than a student who isn't on welfare.
It's as if to say higher education isn't for the poor, so why should they get a degree knowing they'll owe so much debt by the time they graduate.
Because of former PM Julia Gillard’s higher education "reform", universities have lower budgets, and will inevitably ration places for higher-performing students, who are generally already well-off. This makes it increasingly difficult for students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds to get into university at all.
Why should we be the ones that have to suffer the consequences of the government’s stupidity?
Many of us are the first in our family to go to university. Why does this government want to drag us down? Considering many of us at the University of Western Sydney come from working-class families, does it hurt that we might eventually move up to the middle class?
You can ignore the facts and continue to swallow what the media and government regurgitates on you on a daily basis, beating you over the head telling you what to think and what not to think.
All it takes is for all of you to ignore it and hope you won't have to feel the brunt as they take advantage of us even more. That's why the national day of action, on August 20 is the day when students stand up for their rights to higher education. Remember that from political ignorance comes less critical thinking and any ambition to create real change.
[Zaynab Youssef is an undergraduate student at the University of Western Sydney. This article is based on a speech given at an August 19 rally at the university’s Bankstown campus.]