THE LEADER of Kingston council has publicly opposed the rise in tuition fees and is supporting students who are demonstrating against them.

Councillor Derek Osbourne has spoken out against the government's plans to increase tuition fees to £9,000 a year after hundreds of school, college and university students opposed the proposals by marching through Kingston and Surbiton last Wednesday.

Mr Osbourne, whose 14 year old daughter took part in the march, believes that an increase in fees will not just be detrimental to students but to the community as a whole.

He said: "We've always been willing to back this. We've promised to oppose an increase in tuition fees and would want to work towards a decrease in fees. Everyone who has the ability should be able to go to university and should not be prevented by the cost. So support for the students is in line with council policy.

"I'm a product of the demonstrations of the early 1970's when we were opposing Vietnam and racism. There's a whole generation of people that got into politics because of marches like these and we can see how people are beginning to understand the linkages of decision making.

"I think the rent a mob's that turn up just to cause trouble are marginalising the point. Tens of thousands of people turned up to demonstrate against the fees in London and the focus was on the yobs who were there to cause trouble.

"It will affect families that are concerned that young people will not be able to get onto the housing ladder or won't be able to afford a private pension because they are still paying back their student loan.

"Many of these families will put themselves in financial harm to give extra support to the younger people. It affects the whole community, not just the young people."

A community petition has been set up which calls for the council to oppose the fees. If the petition gains 500 signatures by Sunday, it will be debated on at full council.

Mr Osbourne has welcomed and signed the petition.
Last week a crowd armed with banners and placards left the Penrhyn Road campus of Kingston University and marched through the town centre before staging a sit in round the College roundabout. College and school students joined the march as it made it's way up to Surbiton before heading back to the main campus.

Social sciences student, Matthew Smith, who helped organise the demonstration, said: "It was a great success, we had hundreds of people turn up at short notice. Can anybody name the last demonstration they went to in Kingston? This is good as they need to know we will not accept these changes and we need to fight them."

On Tuesday afternoon, a classroom of more than 30 students held a peaceful sit in protest at Penrhyn Road, which lasted for approximately an hour and a half.

A public meeting is being held on Wednesday (8) from 6pm at the university's Jacqueline Wilson Hall in which speakers including Vice Chancellor Peter Scott will make a case against a rise in fees.

Dr Andy Higginbottom, principal lecturer of international politics and human rights, said: "Education is a right and it should not be reserved for the upper and upper middle class students who will be able to afford it. The coalition government's higher education proposals are educationally and socially regressive.

"As a package they threaten to snatch away prospects for a large proportion of 16 to 17 year olds. Nearly tripling tuition fees will seriously threaten widening participation that is part of the ethos of Kingston University."