Datum
Belgium:
Strike at Brussels University
Last week students at Brussels university went on strike and organised an occupation to protest against the proposals which are circulating at present on the issue of restructuring higher education.
These proposals are based on the 'Bologna-declaration' (http://www.esib.org/prague/documents/bologna_declaration.htm) which is a document written on proposals to come to a European unification of the higher education. This declaration has several negative aspects. Here's just a few of the main critic we raise on it: by promoting the difference between "bachelors" and "masters" there is the danger that this system will exclude a lot of students for the second cycle ("masters"). There already is the idea to have introduction examinations for the second cycle and the idea that students should pay the full amount of the costs in this second cycle (which would lead to a serious increase of the access fees). there is a vague remark on the "mobility" of students. The reason why such issues are mentioned became clear in an earlier Belgian proposal on reforming the higher education. A better mobility of students means students can travel for several courses to another city, which means that not all the universities should have the same courses which they now offer. In practice this means: bigger groups of students in the same course. And on the other hand it means an extra cost for students, having loads of travel-costs. In general the Bologna-declaration means an adaptation of the higher education to the European free market.
At Brussels university (VUB) students started an action against the dangers of the Bologna-declaration. They occupied the main building of the university during one night and day. They also held a student strike last wednesday. Our comrades are very involved in this struggle.
There are now proposals to go for a national demo in the beginning of March. Therefore students from Brussels are visiting all universities in Belgium this week. Today we had an official discussion in Gent with two students from Brussels (one being a member of our studentorganisation ALS, the other being a sympathizer of the ALS). Our comrades are involved in organising similar exchanges at the Frenchspeaking university of Brussels, Antwerp university and Leuven university.
We fully support the actions and will produce a longer statement on the actions in Brussels and on the Bologna-declaration (as soon as this is finished it will be translated and distributed). We think this is a good opportunity to use in the campaign towards the EU-top of Brussels at the end of december.
Belgium:
report by Aktief Linkse Studenten (Studentengruppe in Belgien,set up by Militant Links, Belgium section of the CWI)
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