This year, students have shown that they are still willing to resist the government’s plans for education and public services. In November, the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts brought 10,000 students to London under the banner of opposing fees, cuts and privatisation in education; and in March, we will see a National Student Walkout initiated by NUS. Strikes by lecturers and public sector workers are also escalating. 

 We face one of the worst ever attacks on students and young people. On top of the tripling of tuition fees, the scrapping of EMA, and the worst cut ever to university teaching, the higher education white paper will end education as a public service. Youth unemployment and further cuts to FE are robbing a generation of their future. The dropping of the HE Bill showed that direct action works, but it is not a victory on its own: the Tories will still be free to privatise and cut higher education, with asset stripping, private providers and outsourcing of core activities. 

In the face of these attacks, it is vital that the student movement re-mobilises, and keeps up momentum following the summer break. We need a broad strategy that can challenge and defeat the government’s higher education white paper, and articulate serious alternatives for education as a public service. Both local and national level action will be necessary in this task. 

In order to seriously challenge the government and save education, we cannot continue to rely on independent networks and campaigns with limited resources. We need our national union, with its cash, profile and staff support, to lead this fight. 

We, the undersigned, call on NUS to organise a national demonstration in the autumn term of 2012, with a set of localised walkouts and actions before the winter break.