WALKOUT PROTEST 16TH MARCH 2012

“Is that it? Six of you?” A police officer sneers at fifteen students wandering through Russell Square. The students carrying placards - embellished with minister of state for universities, David Willets’s face and torn barcodes with lettering: ‘OUR UNIVERSITY, NOT YOUR BUSINESS’ - have all walked out of lectures, to protest against government education cuts in central London, the 16th of March 2012.
The square is littered with siren fitted vehicles and helmeted individuals, parading the sidewalks in vast numbers.

Waiting.

Watching.


Past Russell Square is the starting point for thousands of student protestors. Home to the University College Union; Malet Street is a wide road, bordered with tall town houses with steps leading onto the pavement and parked cars on either side of the road, now occupied by hundreds of activists, students, supporting staff and lecturers. Lurking law-enforcers are ever present, on horseback, packs and in meat wagons.

The small group of students heckled by police earlier, from the University of East London, now aligned at the very front, are given a fabric banner reading in large red painted letters: ‘ONE SOLUTION REVOLUTION’. The humming crowd of students assemble behind the banner…and then, the drums start.

The world’s media forms a solid flashing clicking wall at the front of the protest. They climb scaffolds, trees and statues with tripods and heavy cameras. They capture every face in the crowd.

A megaphone squeaks.

The crowd draws its breath…

“NO IFS! NO BUTS! NO EDUCATION CUTS!” The united chant throbs from the mob of rebellion as it marches forward. Turning at the end of Malet Street, there are school coaches full of kids parked on either side. Individual protestors shout to the windows of child spectators: “This is for you!” as the kids cheer the procession.

On the opposite side of the road, horses swish their tails with the green of Russell Square silhouetting their hides, as the angry crowd sympathises:
“GET THOSE ANIMALS OFF THOSE HORSES!” The injustice mentality bubbles like a physical sheet over the crowd as they cry out unanimously “No justice. No peace. FUCK THE POLICE!” before slowing down cautiously, to avoid a split. Batons dance at the sides of the police, still heavily escorting the crowd as tensions escalate.

The road is blocked from the volume of protestors at Holborn underground station. Commuters pile out to meet barriers. Passengers of the 91 bus run to one side and press their faces up to the window. Passing tourist shops and little restaurants; all customers come out to screw their faces up trying to read the banners and decipher the meaning behind: “WE ARE ALL ALFIE MEADOWS!”

The protestors caught in a mob mentality of police angst, lose grip on this march against education cuts. “ONE, TWO, ONE TWO THREE, HOW MANY PIGS IN THE BNP?!” is emitted past the London School of Economics and Aldwych. Voices are already starting to get hoarse, and protestors constantly trip on each other’s feet trying to keep a steady pace.

The march continues past Lion King billboards, past Legally Blonde and Sweeney Todd, as the sun suddenly bursts forth from its captive clouds, to baptise the determined protestors in sunlight, like a Godly approval.

Stepping slowly past Charing Cross, strangled cries continue to draw attention “WILLETS RETREAT! THE YOUTH CONTROL THE STREET! David Camer-on? FUCK OF BACK TO ET-ON!” Over the roundabout towards Whitehall a susurrus spreads to sit, outside…Downing Street. At the gates - the crowd sits. Police look at each other, rolling their eyes, wishing through clenched teeth no one felt the need to protest. “SIT DOWN! JOIN THE FIGHT! EDUCATION IS A RIGHT!” Bobbies hold radios to their cheeks as hundreds of cameras form a canopy over the sit-in. There’s clapping as a speaker, Hannah Dee, 37, chair of ‘the right to protest’, stands, megaphone in hand.

“I just want to take a minute to show solidarity for Alfie Meadows who was hit by police so hard he nearly died!” (In a demonstration in 2010.)

The crowd rumbles:

“Boooooo”

“The hospital was reserved for injured police!”

“Booooo!”

“Kettling on Westminster Bridge! Protestors in prison!”

“WE ARE ALL ALFIE MEADOWS!”
“Tomorrow is international day against police brutality!” The crowd cheers mightily, then points towards the perimeter of police.

“SHAME ON YOU! SHAME ON YOU!”

And back to the original point.

“We’re gonna go to Willets with a 40,000 strong petition against job cuts, grant cuts, education and pension cuts!”
“WHEEEY!!” The re-energised protesters get back to their feet as the police wipe the sweat from under their helmets.
Marching past parliament a seemingly ‘nice’ policeman in the infamous baby-blue jacket of a liaison officer, reveals to a small part of the crowd, smiling so much his eyes squint:

“We were gonna move ya. But we allowed ya to sit for ten minutes.” As if this was a grand favour of generosity to be accepted with stuttering over-gratification.

Passing Westminster, protestors point towards the ancient building of governments yelling “THAT’S NOT WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE!”- Pointing back - “THIS IS WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE!” To reach the official ending point of the protest: the Department for Innovation and Skill. An ordinary looking red-brick building, it wore a large shiny new plaque declaring its title.
“WE ‘AD YOU AT MILBANK! DA DA DA DA!” The crowd clumps as police form a human barricade preventing a continuation, such as, the afore mentioned Milbank protest. Tie clad office workers sceptically watch the block of enraged, excited and unpredictable student protestors. “We fucked up your H.Q, DA DA DA DA!” The police take notes and gather; reinforced with riot vans.
A speaker stands forward; megaphone assisted and asks the inhumane redbrick:

“Can we hand in our 40,000 petition? Against education cuts?!”

The mass cheers, clapping and placard waving.
“Against the privatisation of our education? ...” No one comes out to -

“FACE THE ANGER OF THE CROWD!”

Still no one comes out. “WE WILL CONTINUE TO STRIKE AND TAKE TO THE STREETS!!” The crowd jubilantly hollers as all eyes are transfixed on the Department of Innovation. There is silence as the deflating crowd waits. Police start ushering people, the row of numerous bobbies growing in blockage of the street. Disheartened, but no one wishing to be kettled, people start to disperse. No one even took the polite, civil petition.

Degree Subjects Soon To Be?

Recently the American site: http://www.bestcollegesonline.com/blog/2012/04/05/12-college-majors-we-hope-to-see-soon/ came to my attention. It highlights a massive gap in current education. Unfortunately degrees are often written by and decided when, in today's cheetah paced globalised world, they can be out of date by the time students open their books. This is a vital issue of discussion to make sure that students (especially as they are now paying astronomical prices in the UK!) get the best education that provides the skills wanted by employers and needed in the workplace of tomorrow. Politicians and employers complain that young people often don't have the skills needed for the jobs they want, so, when can we see the below subjects added to universities subject portfolios to give them the skills they need?

1. Content Engineering - The creating and harnessing of quality content for blogs, websites and social media has become a wallowing gap employers want to fill. It requires the ability to write to a high level, marketing, demographics and analytical skills of a high degree to be really good at this. The gap in the job market means this would be a highly employable degree that would provide a broad range of transferable skills in lots of areas.

2. Sports - Now this was suggested on an American site, in the UK there is sports coaching and sports science. But if you're very athletic it make sense to be able to study sports of a wide genre without having to specialise in science or coaching.

3.I.T for Medical Technology - I don't know anything about medical things, but I do know my health is important, I also know that technology is rapidly changing across the spectrum of subjects, but medicine is a science that leads in technology. So it makes sense to make sure we have specifically well-trained staff specially for operating medical technology. As patient data-bases to new cancer treatments excel in technological bounds, I want my doctor to have someone next to him who knows exactly how it all works. I am also sure that hospitals are in need of such qualified technicians, making it a highly employable degree subject, again with transferable I.T skills.

4. Social Media Studies - Some may think of such a degree with the similar disdain media students meet. But do not underestimate the enormous importance of social media. As a journalism student, in many work placements I have taken I have had to show my peers and superiors how to use social media. This skill most certainly gives me an advantage over others at the moment, it is one of my most employable, valued assets to be able to confidently navigate around social media and use it to my, or my employer's advantage. Degree students of social media will be snapped up immediately in the current starved social media jobs climate.

5. Mobile Phone Apps - I have friends who study design and graphics, who are now designing phone apps. This is the future, any one who wants to be taken seriously in the professional world has a smart phone now. This means successful, innovative phone apps are always going to be in demand. Just look at the creators of angry birds and the escalating popular 'draw something' app, whoever can come up with the next ones are simply the millionaires of tomorrow, so what better than to get a degree in such an opportune, prosperous subject.

6. Climate Change - I think this speaks for itself, as I look out the window every day with more and more extreme weather, I personally want some dedicated geeks on the subject now! There are courses in environmental science, but this is the planet we're talking about. We need people to be specifically, degree trained experts in this subject, this should have been a subject available to study ages ago!

7. Digital Publishing - Encompassing all the new ways information is published, online, e-books newspapers and magazines, social media etc. a detailed education in the digital publishing world is currently slim pickings for employers, despite it being vital to success for any business now to have a well functioning, good looking website with expertly engineered content.

8.Online Branding - Wow, online branding is so essential for profitable business! What successful brand can you think of that doesn't have a prominent online presence? That's right, none. Online branding is so easy to get wrong, the internet is like a permanent publishing forum for all the world to see, which is why it is essential to get expert branders who know their marketing, advertising, social media and online networking to make the most of your brand.

9. Organic Agriculture - Similar to climate change as a degree subject, organic food is the future. Now available in all supermarkets and small catering businesses thriving with organic produce, organic agriculture is major for the future of the planet and sustainability as well as being desperately needed by employers and consumers.

10. Patient Relations - Is Bupa struggling in the recession? No. Because they know their patients are the ones they rely on for income, so they look after them. Patient relations is something I personally think has slipped, with new restrictions on prescriptions because of pharmaceutical monopolies, government restraints on G.P's and constant demand on the NHS to be better, it's no wonder patient relations are under duress. Patient relations is a key skill that health care is very reliant on, how can you help someone without relating to them first? Again, I personally would like to receive medical treatment with well educated, professional patient relation.

11. Web Journalism - As a blogger and journalism student, this is definitely a subject that is pretty much self taught at the moment, with many of my peers falling through the gaps. Web journalism is the future of news, print is still important and has some time left for sure, but web journalism needs to be precise, it needs to be created by experts, as it has such a wide audience - the entire world. Having knowledge of the industry, web journalism is the future, the skills needed to be a successful web journalist are the ones that will get graduates employed.

12. Distance Education - I started my degree via distance learning with the Open University, I am also whilst interning trying to engage my peers online with distance learning - it's hard. I certainly think more research needs to be done on the people studying long distance, the strategies and teaching ideas used currently. More and more people are taking it upon themselves to distance learn to compete in today's workplace, to save money or juggle a hectic lifestyle, it's a growing industry that will need trained graduates to keep it growing and help educate more people. Essential for tomorrow's world.

So there you have it, if you're thinking about studying or already studied and found a gap in your education when it comes to finding a job, or employed and wondering what's holding you back form that promotion - let's hope these subjects are implemented into universities and available to study to help bridge the gap from today, to a much brighter future.

Again, the original blog this is based on can be found here: http://www.bestcollegesonline.com/blog/2012/04/05/12-college-majors-we-hope-to-see-soon/ please take a look, it gives more detail on the subjects mentioned!