The reason is that on February 22, the general strike of British universities officially began and is expected to last for four weeks.
What should British college students, especially those from China, do?
0 1
The scale of this strike is really large.
At present, there are 6 1 universities involved, and almost all famous universities are among them.
These universities include Cambridge University, Oxford University, Edinburgh University, Liverpool University, Sheffield University, Southampton University and other well-known universities with many international students in China.
The specific strike time is as follows: The specific strike time is as follows:
The first week: Thursday, February 22nd and Friday, February 22nd (two days).
The second week: Monday, February 26th, Tuesday, 27th and Wednesday, 28th (three days).
Week 3: Monday, March 5th, Tuesday, 6th, Wednesday, 7th and Thursday, 8th (four days).
Week 4: March Monday 12, Tuesday 13, Wednesday 14, Thursday 15, Friday 16 (five days).
There will be 45,000 teachers on strike, nearly 6,543,800 students will be affected, and 200,000 graduating students will face delayed graduation. Many freshmen don't know when they can get the admission notice.
The reason and focus of the strike is that the Council of University Presidents (UUUK) and the Union of Universities and Colleges (UCU) have different opinions on the pension reform plan for university teachers.
At present, the retirement pension deficit of college teachers has reached 65.438+0.75 billion pounds (at the current exchange rate, 654.38+0 pounds is about 8.84 yuan), and the huge welfare and pension have caused the UUK University Presidents Association (UUK) a headache.
The Presidential Committee hopes to change the pension plan, and change the fixed income plan (USS) for retired faculty members into a distributed pension plan.
Its essence is that pensions are traded in the stock market, and the pensions of retirees in the future will be affected by the stock market. This reform may reduce the income of teachers after retirement by tens of thousands of pounds.
This, of course, caused strong dissatisfaction among university faculty and staff, and also exposed the conflict between British university presidents and teachers.
02
The "high income" of British university management is commonplace.
Last year, the British media broke the news that Professor Christina Slade, vice president of Bath Springs University, received 429,000 pounds of benefits every year, about 3.87 million yuan, not including the annual salary of 250,000 pounds.
Because of the exposure, Professor Slade announced her resignation as vice-principal, but in June of 5438+0 1 year, the British media tracked that her annual income exceeded 800,000 pounds after she stopped serving as vice-principal.
The average annual salary of British university presidents is about 258,000 pounds, not counting welfare and other expenses.
For example, the average cost of a British university president flying is 9,000 pounds, and the average cost of staying in a hotel is 3,000 pounds. In one year, the average expenditure of the British President on air tickets and accommodation exceeded 654.38 million+RMB.
They live in a million-pound property and enjoy first-class treatment and high-end hotel treatment.
However, what is the salary of teachers?
In July last year, Guaduates Prospects website published the survey results of the average income of British university lecturers:
The teaching of British higher education lecturers is divided into three grades: the annual salary of junior lecturers:? 33,943 ~ 465,438+0,709; Senior lecturer:? 4 1,709~55,998.； Professor title lecturer:? 54,637~ 107,244。
Generally speaking, the salaries of British university faculty are not low. In 20 16, the average annual income of the British middle class was 24,744 pounds, and the average annual income of university teachers was more than twice that of the middle class.
However, the annual salary of university management in Britain is 10 times that of teachers, and it is also higher than the annual salary set by British Prime Minister theresa may10.5 million.
Teacher of strike March, teacher of strike March
It is also inevitable for university teachers to express their dissatisfaction with the aristocratic management of British universities through strikes.
03
It is understandable for teachers to fight for their own rights and interests, but who will be responsible for the losses of students?
The Union of British Universities and Colleges (UCU) has announced that as long as they are members of UCU, they will refuse to make up missed courses, volunteer to teach during the strike, or make up missed courses after the strike.
This also means that all students become "victims" and the losses are borne by the students themselves.
As we all know, Britain is one of the most expensive countries in the world. The tuition fee for undergraduate education in Britain is about 7,000 pounds, while the tuition fee for international students is twice that of British students, and the tuition fee for undergraduate medical degree for international students is as high as 38,000 pounds.
It is really a great loss that students pay high tuition fees but can't get the corresponding lectures. It is really a great loss that students pay high tuition fees but can't get the corresponding lectures.
The Guardian reported that Georgia Davies, a sophomore at St Andrews University, calculated an account: "I have 12 hours of classes every week on average, which costs me 32 pounds (278.76 yuan) per hour. Therefore, the strike 14 days is equivalent to 768 pounds (6690 yuan) that I paid for face-to-face communication with my teachers.
The British "Guardian" published the voices of some parents:
The loss of international students in China is even greater. China students at King's College have calculated that the strike will lead to the cancellation of 1/3 course, and the cost will be as high as 2,000 pounds.
In other words, including tuition and living expenses, if each class is cancelled, China students will lose 100. One class is nearly 1000 RMB, which is the hard-earned money saved by China's parents.
According to the BBC, during the strike, colleges and universities will also suspend planned exams, assign homework, grade and give feedback.
There are no exams and no homework, which is good news for some international students who don't study very much. Cheer for joy. However, parents of students, looking after their children and wasting their time and youth in Britain, how can they not worry?
Parents and students support teachers to fight for rights and interests, but they are indignant at shortening teaching time in exchange for high tuition fees.
While teachers fight for their own rights and interests, who will protect the rights and interests of students?
04
Conrad White, a student at York University, and Samuel Veal of Cardiff University launched an online petition to express their dissatisfaction.
Petition of York University: This semester is 20 weeks, equivalent to 100 days, and the tuition fee is about 9,000 pounds. During the two-week strike, that is, during 14, the students paid 1295 in vain. The loss of international students goes far beyond these. 300 is the minimum compensation we should get.
At present, York University has more than 4,300 students' signatures. At present, York University has more than 4,300 students' signatures.
At present, many college students have initiated online signatures, demanding that the school compensate for the losses.
Nearly 3000 students from City University of London signed their names online, demanding a claim of 1000.
In addition, students from Cambridge University, Liverpool University, Leicester University, Sheffield University, Edinburgh University, Durham University and other universities have published online signature websites.
Most netizens in Britain also expressed their understanding: "The general strike is actually a contradiction between the management and teachers of British universities. Students are really innocent and implicated. Whether they are international students who pay higher tuition fees or local British students who borrow money to go to school, they are the biggest victims. "
The general strike is expected to start on February 22nd, and the number of strike days will be increased every week. If the Council of University Presidents (UUK) and the Union of University Colleges (UCU) disagree, the strike will continue, and the specific end time cannot be determined.
As the British worry, "these students are more anxious about their future than asking for compensation!" " Those students who have studied hard for several years and are about to work now don't know when they will graduate and where their future lies! If colleges and trade unions continue to make trouble, the interests of a generation will be violated! "
British Education Secretary Damian Hindes also wants schools to consider students' opinions, and Damian Hindes also wants schools to consider students' opinions.
05
Nowadays, Britain is already one of the countries with the largest number of international students in China, and the strike also affects the parents of international students.
Although parents all hope that their children can finish their studies smoothly and safely and stay out of trouble abroad, the strike has seriously damaged their interests. Can they keep silent?
Fortunately, many foreign students from China also participated in the signature petition activities, and even became the sponsors of compensation activities in their universities.
The rights and interests are not given by others, but earned by themselves.
At the same time, through the strike, we should also see the social problems existing in the elite management of British higher education.
It is not the first time that teachers' strikes are common in British universities.
Higher education has become a place where managers squeeze the blood and sweat of teachers and students. Can it not cause social contradictions?