Socialist Students
Encyclopedia
Socialist Students is a socialist organisation with branches in universities, further education colleges and sixth form college
s in the United Kingdom
.. Socialist Students was established in the late 1990s by members of the Socialist Party of England and Wales (SP) who had built support for the Save Free Education Campaign amongst students in the battle over the introduction of fees when the Labour Party
under Tony Blair
was elected in 1997.
Socialist Students describes itself as a politically independent organisation, and has its own national committee meetings and annual conference at which motions are debated and voted on. Socialist Students produces the political magazine The Student Socialist twice a year, in September and in February. It is affiliated with International Socialist Resistance and takes part in campaigns such as Youth Fight for Jobs and "Hands off our Schools" against city academies. The two organisations have a joint presence on anti-war and anti-G8
/climate change
demonstrations, which they term the "Red Contingent".
Socialist Students also has international links through being affiliated to ISR with groups in countries such as Sweden, Pakistan and Germany as well as links with groups such as Socialist Youth in Ireland, Active Left Students and Blokbusters in Belgium, Youth Against War and Racism in the USA and the Socialist Student Movement in Nigeria.
Socialist Students is anti-capitalist and follows the ideas of Socialism
. The organisation is broad, with some in the ranks being members of parties other than the SP - for example the Green Party of England and Wales
, Plaid Cymru and Labour, with the majority being non-aligned. The structure of Socialist Students is federal
, with each society or organising its own activity and campaigns as well as building national campaigns. Socialist Students aims to be a forum for students interested in socialist and Marxist ideas, while giving students experience in debating, organising and intervening in struggle.
Socialist Students links the struggles of students with that of workers. Along with ISR and the Socialist Party, Socialist Students set up the Youth Fight for Jobs campaign.
Socialist Students calls for a mass party to represent working class people and supports the Campaign for a New Workers' Party
.
Socialist Students members hold part time positions in a number of other colleges and universities.
Prior to the campaign's first day of action, Socialist Students received a message of support from National Union of Students, a message Socialist Students welcomed but were still critical of NUS's lack of action. The first day of action on 22 February 2007 featured action taking place at over 40 Universities and Colleges, which was followed by another on 27 April 2007, alongside various meetings on this issue organised by local Socialist Student societies.
So far students from 103 different schools, colleges or universities have signed the Campaign to Defeat Fees petition
Sixth form college
A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Belize, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 to 18 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A-levels, or school-level qualifications such as GCSEs. In Singapore and India, this is...
s in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.. Socialist Students was established in the late 1990s by members of the Socialist Party of England and Wales (SP) who had built support for the Save Free Education Campaign amongst students in the battle over the introduction of fees when the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
under Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
was elected in 1997.
Socialist Students describes itself as a politically independent organisation, and has its own national committee meetings and annual conference at which motions are debated and voted on. Socialist Students produces the political magazine The Student Socialist twice a year, in September and in February. It is affiliated with International Socialist Resistance and takes part in campaigns such as Youth Fight for Jobs and "Hands off our Schools" against city academies. The two organisations have a joint presence on anti-war and anti-G8
G8
The Group of Eight is a forum, created by France in 1975, for the governments of seven major economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 1997, the group added Russia, thus becoming the G8...
/climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
demonstrations, which they term the "Red Contingent".
Socialist Students also has international links through being affiliated to ISR with groups in countries such as Sweden, Pakistan and Germany as well as links with groups such as Socialist Youth in Ireland, Active Left Students and Blokbusters in Belgium, Youth Against War and Racism in the USA and the Socialist Student Movement in Nigeria.
Political programme
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
. The organisation is broad, with some in the ranks being members of parties other than the SP - for example the Green Party of England and Wales
Green Party of England and Wales
The Green Party of England and Wales is a political party in England and Wales which follows the traditions of Green politics and maintains a strong commitment to social progressivism. It is the largest Green party in the United Kingdom, containing within it various regional divisions including...
, Plaid Cymru and Labour, with the majority being non-aligned. The structure of Socialist Students is federal
Federation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
, with each society or organising its own activity and campaigns as well as building national campaigns. Socialist Students aims to be a forum for students interested in socialist and Marxist ideas, while giving students experience in debating, organising and intervening in struggle.
Socialist Students links the struggles of students with that of workers. Along with ISR and the Socialist Party, Socialist Students set up the Youth Fight for Jobs campaign.
Socialist Students calls for a mass party to represent working class people and supports the Campaign for a New Workers' Party
Campaign for a New Workers' Party
The Campaign For A New Workers' Party is an initiative of the Socialist Party of England and Wales that argues for the establishment of a new mass workers' party, involving trade union activists, socialists, anti-capitalists, and community, anti-war and environmental activists. It was launched at...
.
Recent growth
Socialist Students has 56 official societies in universities across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and a presence in another 40 education institutionsSocialist Students members hold part time positions in a number of other colleges and universities.
Campaign to Defeat Fees
After the National Union of Students (NUS) demonstration against fees on 29 October 2006, Socialist Students members launched the Campaign to Defeat Fees to argue for a fighting platform against tuition and top-up fees.Prior to the campaign's first day of action, Socialist Students received a message of support from National Union of Students, a message Socialist Students welcomed but were still critical of NUS's lack of action. The first day of action on 22 February 2007 featured action taking place at over 40 Universities and Colleges, which was followed by another on 27 April 2007, alongside various meetings on this issue organised by local Socialist Student societies.
So far students from 103 different schools, colleges or universities have signed the Campaign to Defeat Fees petition