Mobilisation Call Initially 49 Iranians Received Grants, but This Term Only 31 by Andy Bickley Students Were Officially Supported
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
T13 MAY 198© m i p : Tetley Bittermen. S&vV^’ . Join’em. N o .-2 2 9 - Friday, 9th May, 1980 Free Government withdraws grants IRANIANS FACE EXPULSION Eighteen Iranian Students will be expelled from the Polytechnic next week because their Government has refused to honour its contract to pay for them. Mobilisation call Initially 49 Iranians received grants, but this term only 31 By Andy Bickley students were officially supported. The post of Leeds Area NUS As a result the eighteen have been General Secretary will be filled sent letters by the Polytechnic and Teeside Polys. next year by Paul Hodgkinson, saying . that unless they can pay Leeds Poly Union president a final year English student at their fees themselves by May 12th Stevan Mrvos has tried to instigate a the University, he was elected they will be expelled. The Iranian united campaign with his counter to the sabbatical position Government’s action is in clear parts, unopposed. breach of contract, as the Poly “I hope to get a delegation of technic has a letter of support from presidents to meet the Iranis to Mr Hodgkinson has been a Univer # the Iranian Embassy. impress upon them the seriousness sity delegate to the LANUS council, Leeds is not alone in facing the of their actions”. and he takes over from John Peel on problem. At Plymouth Polytechnic 1st August. He is a member of the 12 out of 14 students had their Mr. Mrvos is unsure as to what Socialist Student Alliance. He said grants withdrawn. This has also can be done to save the students, that he was disappointed not to have happened to 46 people at North “I hope that the City Council fought an election campaign as he East London, 18 in Manchester, will absorb the cost, or that we can felt that this would have provided a platform for debate on the future of and a number at Brighton persuade the Iranian Embassy to LANUS. do the honourable thing, but I dont think that there is any chance LANUS has had a difficult time at all of the Embassy coming up encouraging student involvement this Student with the bread.” year, and faced a number of motions from colleges wishing to disaffiliate, Calculated but Mr Hodgkinson is confident that in Alps He said that the Iranian Govern he can overcome the problems, ment had acted “coldly and calcu- “with hard work it can be done, atedly” in cutting the students off. as the mobilisation of students over issues like the Corrie bill and the tragedy He also mentioned the anti-cuts campaign has shown” . possibility that the Polytechnic could sue the Iranian Government A ski-ing accident in the but he discounted this as an CLOSER CONTACT Italian alps, which killed three effective course of action. He said that he was concerned to English people, also seriously The situation is not eased by establish greater contact between injured a first year law student the fact that eleven of the eighteen member colleges and to break down at the University. students are currently engaged in barriers of isolation. To achieve this Stephen Bloch was on holiday in industrial training as part of their Paul Hodgkinson p. William Scott he is to publish a monthly bulletin, the resort of Courmayeur with a course, mostly in Iran itself. This as well as displaying minutes of group of friends from London when means that they cannot be meetings in prominent places. the accident happened on Good contacted directly, and might not How to Friday. 1 Union to “What I want is for all colleges even be aware of the problem. They The tragedy occurred on a contro to send in details of particular versial piste, which the Italian could return in September to find beat the t close problems that they have. We can authorities claim was clearly marked themselves no longer on a course only mobilise students around “closed” and “dangerous”. However, and discover that all their industrial queues Next Wednesday, 14th May, is concrete issues, about how things are doubt has been raised in this country work is invalid. the TUC’s much vaunted “Day of going to affect them personally and by journalists and experts as to the The May edition of “National It is hoped that as from May 18th Action” against the Government’s others around them”. way in which the signs were placed Student” reported the problem, students and staff will be able to buy policies, and students are bound to on the piste; it has been claimed that including one “sinister develop British Rail tickets from the be affected by it. Mr Hodgkinson added that the the signs were not prominent and University Union Travel Bureau. The Polytechnic Union will be ment.” The newspaper alleged that major campaigns next year would be could only be seen when one was As Manager Eric Toft explained, closed, and the Executive are on the issues of mandatory grants in students were being asked by the actually on the piste . the Travel Bureau will keep a stock calling for a boycott of lectures. Further Education colleges, Mr Bloch and a friend left the Embassy to “spy on each other in of travel tickets, and arrange reserva There will also be a picket outside capitation fees without strings, and piste to look for a member of their order to inform which students tions, and other normal services such the City site. financial autonomy for student party who had got lost. They were can afford to pay their own fees”. as sleepers and luggage facilities. He At the University, the Union will unions. then hit by the falling body of The Polytechnic Union could added that this will mean that remain open. This follows a tied another skier, and thrown some not confirm this, but there has students can queue here for tickets vote at an Executive meeting. The In addition he said that he would distance down a gully. when they have time, rather than President, Steve Aulsebrook used been a six man delegation from like to see LANUS take up the issue Mr Bloch was taken to an Italian queueing at the station and risk his casting vote in favour of keeping of Northern Ireland, in particular the the Iranian Embassy interviewing hospital in a coma, and three weeks missing trains. Mr. Toft expects a the building open. The Union will Prevention of Terrorism Act, which, ago, still unconscious, he was trans the students to investigate the turn-over of £50—100,000 from not be calling on students to he claims, is used to suppress free ferred to a London hospital. possibility of self support. British Rail sales. boycott lectures, but will encourage speech in Northern Ireland, and he On Wednesday a spokesperson for Mr. Mrvos was highly critical If the target date of May 18th people to participate in the big attacked NUS’ handling of the the law department said that he had of the Iranian Government action. isn’t reached the deal with British demonstration in the town. campaign to date, just become semi-conscious, and Rail for the Agency will go through * There will be no bus or train added, “Their government strung these in June, the possible delay being service on that day, but campus “NUS Executive have tried to use “There wasn’t any permanent students this long, then leaves caused by problems over insurance trade unions have not decided to the spectre of the IRA to scare damage as far as we know” . them. It’s vile”. for the tickets kept in the Union. come out. people off the real issues” . UNIVERSITY LIBRARY LEEDS \!!VER: :?Y Oi: Page 2 LEEDS STUDENT - 9th May 1980 One minute away LEEDS STUDENT Accountants from cancellation blamed for The recent concert in the in the dark as I was”. 9th May 1980 University Refectory by the When the band did arrive, having no grants Only Ones was within one broken down on the motorway, they played a full set, but Mr. minute of being cancelled, Kershaw pointed out that some Ents Secretary Andrew people had to leave before the show Kershaw revealed on Tuesday. started to find transport home. A number of students at the Grin and bear it He explained that when the • “If anyone had to leave before University face the prospect of On the face of it, the University’s proposals for increases in band had not arrived by 10.20 pm. the show started they were given going through the summer rent may seem excessive. The major complaint is bound to be he and the tour manager decided pass outs. If they send them to us term without a grant, simply that if they had not turned up by we will pass them on to the agency. that yet again rent is to go up by more than the student grant, 10.45 the show would have to be because their parents’ We won’t be refunding because it accountants are not doing but this is not the whole picture. cancelled. At 10.44 the group wasn’t our fault, we’ll let the The rent on student flats is governed by the rate of interest, arrived. agency foot the bill”. their jobs properly. and, as anyone who has tried to borrow money has found out, Mr. Kershaw said, The situation has arisen because “It started getting late, the Mr. Kershaw said that he felt final statements of tax liability have is astronomically high. Faced with this, it is hard to see what that the delay had not spoilt support band had finished, and the not been given to Local Education else the University could do.