November 15: Global Education Strike

Reports Worldwide:
Global Education Strike

November 15th 2012

In the struggle against the increasing commercialisation of education and for free emancipatory education people around the world coordinated the Global Education Strike (GES). It was marked by the Global Day of Action to RECLAIM EDUCATION -- Direct Democracy NOW! on October 18th as well as the GES itself from November 14th until the 22nd.
Basis of which was this call to action as well as this international joint statement.

overview of further activities related to the GES around the world: ism-global.net/GES_activities

For comments or any missing reports please contact ism_admin[at]lists.riseup.net.

Reports for GES related activities on November 15th:

  • Bristol: rally against monitoring of (international) students
  • Erlangen: rally against tuition fees
  • Hannover: funeral for education
  • Kiev: meeting to reflect on education movements worldwide
  • Münster: week of action

Bristol: rally against monitoring of (international) students

Rally against monitoring of Students in Bristol

The following background information was taken from the description on the event page:

A Cause for Concern!
Did you know that your university is monitoring and reporting about your fellow students?

The University wants international students on a Tier – 4 Visa (non-EU citizens) to report to their student administrators and sign a paper every first week of the month to prove that they are ‘engaged in their studies’. Unless this is done, these students are threatened to be reported to the UKBA as a ‘cause for concern’. These students are asked to report about their travels.

We find this monitoring policy to be a violation of these students' basic human rights, an insult to their human dignity, and an intrusion on their private lives. International students are not convicts on parole; and they should not be treated as such. They are members of our student community who contribute to the diversity and well-being of the university! As members of the university community, we are all responsible for making sure that our fellows are treated fairly and with dignity! In protest of this monitoring policy, we will be wearing a symbolic ankle tag in solidarity with our fellow international students.

This protest was part of a week of action called for by Reclaim Education Bristol.

Erlangen: rally against tuition fees

Demonstration for Free Education in Erlangen

Erlangen is a city in Bavaria. Bavaria is one of the two only federal states (Lower-Saxony being the other one) still charging general tuition fees. In many other federal states (Germany consists of 16 states) they were abolished again after massive protests in the past few years - most recently in North-Rhine Westphalia.

To continue the struggle and have tuition fees immediately abolished in Bavaria more than 1,000 students gathered in Erlangen. They also came from the cities of Bamberg, Munich, Nürnberg and Regensburg.

sources (in german): nordbayern.de (video report) + infranken.de


'Our Education NOT Your Commodity'

Münster: week of action

Week of Action in Münster

The general students' committee at the University of Münster (germany) organised a week of action mostly filled with panel discussions, workshops, film screenings and concerts.

it also included lectures, discussions, and theattre, such as:
  • 'Mind as a Commodity - Thoughts on the Commodification of Higher Education in the light of Critical Theory' (lecture)
  • breakfast together 'Buy yourself a lecture hall!'
  • 'theatre of the oppressed' + 'worldly sightseeing tour'
  • and much more similar activities

complete program: asta.ms - barackemuenster.files.wordpress.com (for download)

Kiev: meeting to reflect on education movements worldwide

Round of discussion in Kiev:
Reflecting on Education Movements Worldwide

The network of independent student trade unions called Direct Action in the Ukraine invited to a round of discussions in Kiev. A particular focus was on the developments in Chile and Québec.

details (in ukrainian): direct-action.org.ua

Hannover: funeral for education

Funeral for Education in Hannover


In the struggle against cuts around 100 students and faculty mocked a 'funeral for education' at the University of Hannover (Germany). The action was not only directed against the cuts, but also against the increase de-democratisation (resulting in less student participation in decision making processes) as well as tuition fees.

Also the local newspaper reported: