BY NIKKI ULASOWSKI
Thousands of students took to the streets on April 5 in a national day of action called by the National Union of Students. Students and supporters demanded an end to corporate control of universities, a liveable income for all, an end to government funding cuts and the abolition of up-front fees. Support for the May 1 student strike and blockade of stock exchanges was a feature of most actions.
In Sydney, reports Daniel Ooi, students rallied at Victoria Park then marched into the city, where Mike Donaldson from the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) spoke against the federal government's slashing of tertiary education funding.
Protesters then marched to the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), where the protest swelled to 500 people. Resistance organiser Angela Luvera addressed the protest on behalf of the M1 Alliance.
The students marched to the offices of the Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs to highlight cutbacks to student welfare and decreasing access to tertiary education for poor students. The march returned to UTS, where police denied access to the main entrance. Students entered the building via a side door but were again confronted by police. A an hour-long standoff followed.
At the University of Western Sydney's Macarthur campus, Michelle Brear told Green Left Weekly, 250 students marched to the recently revealed site where the UWS administration buried 10,000 books in 1995 because it had "insufficient funds" to store the books.
In retaliation, students buried a copy of "Shaping the Future", the outline of the UWS administration's plan to rationalise the university. The rally proceeded to the administration to question the vice-chancellor, however she refused to meet with the students.
In Melbourne, reports Jody Betzein, a rally attracted 180 people at Melbourne University. The rally heard speakers condemn public funds being channelled into commercial ventures such as Melbourne University Private. Students auctioned Melbourne University Private "degrees". Speakers also condemned Universitas 21, which is a global network of elite universities that includes Melbourne University and is chaired by its vice-chancellor, Alan Gilbert. Universitas 21 wants to establish a global private online university. An effigy of Gilbert was burnt.
Students marched to the university administration building. Slogans were painted on the wall of the building. Around 60 students occupied the ninth floor, where the vice-chancellor's office is. The occupation lasted for several hours, until students agreed to leave. All of the students involved in the occupation were arrested for trespassing and unlawful entry. So far no charges have been laid.
Resistance activist Fred Fuentes told Green Left Weekly, "Although we fully support the right of students to make a political statement, the vandalism that occurred during the occupation has only helped to alienate activists from the rest of the student population. The damage caused during the occupation gave the media and the university administration an excuse to avoid the political statement that the activists were trying to make, and therefore reduced the impact of the action. The fact that the occupation took place without a democratic discussion among the participants makes it worse."
In other actions in Melbourne, 30 students from RMIT city campus marched to the steps of state parliament house. The students criticised ex-Shell Australia CEO Roland Williams' position on RMIT's university council as an example of the growing corporatisation of higher education. Williams is among 12 corporate representatives on a body of 20. There are only two students represented. Students are demanding that Williams resign, along with the other corporate representatives, and be replaced by student and staff representatives.
Around 80 Victorian College of Arts students joined the protest and the combined rally proceeded to Victorian Liberal Party headquarters.
At La Trobe University Chris Atkinson reports that 30 people marched on mining giant Rio Tinto's on-campus research facility. The march was organised by the La Trobe M1 and environment collectives.
Simon Butler reports from Brisbane 20 students at Griffith University blockaded the university administration building. At noon, 100 students rallied and an effigy of Prime Minister John Howard was burnt. The rally was addressed by Tim Ensor from the Griffith Uni Students Campaigning Against Multinationals (SCAM) collective, who urged students to oppose corporate globalisation and mobilise for M1.
About 100 activists at the University of Queensland also organised a blockade of that university's administration block, forcing it to close for the day.
The rally opposed the restructuring of the biological and chemical sciences (BACS) faculty which will result in the sacking of between 80 and 100 staff and pave the way for increased corporate investment. At 1pm, a larger rally of 500 BACS students took place.
Jamie Miller from Canberra told Green Left Weekly that 60 students at the Australian National University occupied the ANUTECH building on April 5. ANUTECH, the corporate arm of ANU, was established to increase corporate sponsorship of the university. Students demanded the closure of ANUTECH and the transfer of ANUTECH education courses to the ANU without the up-front fees, which are currently charged. Pro vice-chancellor Chris Burgess met with the students during the occupation and agreed to hold a public forum of students and staff to discuss their concerns. Prior to the occupation, 150 students assembled for a rally on campus to protest the erosion of quality education in Australia. To get involved in the campaign at ANU to close the operations of ANUTECH call Keara or Leigh on 6247 2424.
From Hobart, Sarah Cleary reports that 50 people rallied at the University of Tasmania on April 5. Mark Evenhuis, president of the Tasmanian University Union, spoke of the effects of corporatisation on education and the need to for students to fight back. Jo Fox from the NTEU highlighted the attacks that are being made on staff at the university.
Eighty students in Fremantle marched to the campus of the private University of Notre Dame, reports Sean Martin-Iverson. Murdoch University Student Guild education vice-president Candice Heedes criticised Labor's education policy, in particular its support for the University of Australia On-Line.
Notre Dame was targeted by students because of its proposal for a private rural-focused Graduate School of Medicine. Students will pay fees for this course, which also backed by $1 million from Wesfarmers. It will make use of publicly funded infrastructure from the University of Western Australia. UWA Guild education council president Ryan Batchelor mentioned, as another example of corporate domination of higher education, a proposed University of Western Australia Motorola Software and Engineering Centre.