April 14, 2006

Students from various universities in Istanbul mailed their three demands together with the signatures they collected during their campaign against privatization and commercialization (MP3) to the Parliament today.

Close to 60 students gathered at the Economics Faculty Building of the University of İstanbul from where they started a march to the main campus of the university, under a banner that said, “We are Students Not Customers – Student Collectives”. During the march, they chanted slogans such as, “Dormitory Instead of Hotel, Canteen Instead of Restaurant”, “Our Universities, Canteens, Dormitories Are Not For Sale”, “Education Is A Right, Healthcare Is A right, They Are Not For Sale” At the entrance of the main campus they displayed a banner saying , “MP3- Pay Attention to It – Student Collectives”.

The students announced that their protest activities would continue until their demands were met. Here they also read the press release that has been issued which said the students had been conducting a campaign for over a month to collect signatures against the privatization and commercialization of education. The students were determined not to let the university services be taken over by free market conditions.

Their three demands are as follows:
1) Student and registration fees should be cancelled and university services should be free. The university budget is being cut down and the students are being made to cover the shortages. Student services are being outsourced to private companies. Students are deliberately declared failing and are required to attend pay-for summer schools, where education is sold. The students are loosing their right to education for lack of money.
The students reject being treated like customers and be expected to pay for what is their right. For this reason they demand that all student fees be cancelled and university services should be free.

2) Transportation and housing costs should be reduced, dormitory space should be expanded and free student bus services to and from the city should be provided.

Housing is a real problem, especially for out-of-town students. Rents are very high and dormitory services are inadequet. The students demand that more and better university housing should be provided.

Transportation costs are very high and universities have various campuses at different locations which means that students have to pay bus fare to go from one class to another. For this reason they demand free bus services to and from downtown, dormitories and among campuses.

3) The students demand that the universities be provided with facilities (such as libraries, laboratories…) or their quality improved.

The quality of education is getting worse and no improvements are planned. The students reject an education of such poor standards. They are aware that there can’t be courses in computer sciences without computers or education in biology without microscopes. A good education can’t be given on a campus without a library.

At the same time social and cultural services on campuses, which are an integral part of a good education, are also lacking. So, the students demand a university that provides these services.

Students all over the country are participating in protest activities to have their rightful and justified demands met. In many instances, they get punished instead. However, they are determined to continue.

Devrimci Genç/Sendika.org

EK