By Stephen Kopko
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America
CALIFORNIA, United States – Students in the public higher educational system in California protested across the state yesterday to voice their frustration over tuition increases and funding cuts. The organizers of the protest named March 4 “a strike and day of action to defend public education.” Students and faculty from across the state protested at their various institutions.
The California organizers were joined by other students across the United States to protest the high cost of college education and the cuts in funding public higher educational institutions. From Maryland to Washington, organizers conducted blockades of class buildings and entrances to schools as well as walk outs of classes. For example, protesters at the University of California at Santa Cruz sat in the entrance to the school, effectively canceling classes. In Washington, protestors rallied at the state capitol around a fake coffin which stated “R.I.P. Education.”
In response to budget shortfalls and a lack of tax revenue, many states have lessened their contribution to higher educational systems. This contributed to a budget shortfall for many schools of higher education. To make up for their budget deficits, schools have raised tuition, furloughed teachers, and canceled classes.
The California State public education system has been hit hardest by the lack of funding. In order to make up for its budget deficit, the system increased student tuition by thirty-two percent and the employees took a ten percent pay decrease through furloughs.
The student protestors believe the state governments are harming the future of the United States by cutting educational funds. Reid Milburn, president of the Student Senate of California Community Colleges, stated; “How are we going to save our future if we can’t even get into our classrooms.” Organizer of the Maryland protests, Bob Hayes, was concerned with the high salaries of administrators and the spending of universities on capital improvement projects. He felt that students “were being run by a Fortune 500 company instead of by a university.”
Arrests were made at some of the protests. Many of the violations were of a nonviolent nature despite the students’ passionate protest against tuition increases and funding cuts. The organizers of the protests stated that they will continue to hold rallies to raise awareness of the issue.
For more information, please see:
AP – Angry US students protest cuts to higher education – 5 March 2010
NY Times – In California, a Day of Protests Over Education Budget Cuts – 4 March 2010
Washington Post – Students protest cuts to higher-education funds – 4 March 2010
