The views expressed in this article are the views of the author and not the views of the Politics Society.

I knew that speaking in our Students’ Union general meeting against a motion entitled “Fight For a Free Education” would inevitably open me up to attacks that I don’t agree that higher education should be free, as it was before 1997.  So before I start describing how we can win a free education, let me set one thing straight: I believe that access to higher education should be accessible to all, and the best way for this to happen is for the cost of the education to be paid by the government through general taxation, and for students to be supported with universal, rather than means-tested grants.

Where I differ from those I affectionately describe as being on the “hard left” is how to achieve it. The Students’ Union should have policy supporting a free education, but needs to be a sensible and inclusive one which reaches out to students. It shouldn’t be prescriptive - specifying a monthly quota of flyers or the text to appear on a plaque is counterproductive.

We need a policy which enables campaigners and activists to reach out to less politicised students and allows them to take ownership of the campaign, engaging them and ensuring that even small actions taken are steps towards victory.

The challenge we face

In 2009, the government will appoint a body to independently review the funding system for higher education. There is one fact which I am sure that everyone will agree on – universities are significantly underfunded. The Labour government, since 1997, has never put higher education at the top of their agenda for education funding, choosing to focus on schools, a fact for which Bill Rammell MP, the government minister for higher education, makes no apology.

It is we, as students, who must make the case for a free education. We must be united in our demands, not just in Manchester, but across the country. We face a difficult task, but with hard work and a solid case, we can return to a free education. There will be many people nationwide, who argue that tuition and top-up fees work and the £3000 cap should be raised as the only way to properly fund higher education. There will be people who do not realise the problem we face, including many students. We need to inform students of the problems we face and win the public debate.

Decisions we must take

If we accept the case for a free education, there are three major issues we need to look at for when we begin to campaign:

1. Within the current higher education budget, is the necessary money available for a high-quality free education?
2. If not, do we agree with the government’s prioritisation of primary and high schools over higher education?
3. If so, where is the money to pay for a free higher education going to come from?

It is too easy to answer these questions, especially the final one, with calls for demonstrations demanding “more taxation for the rich”, or to “cancel Trident”. This is an overly simplistic approach, which will only lead to defeat. By tying ourselves to other causes such as CND, for example, we set ourselves up as hostages to fortune of another campaign. We need to be independent, without abandoning our supporters in other movements.

Over the summer, I will begin looking at answers to these questions, and come back for the first general meeting of the academic year with proposals for an engaging, student-led, campaign to return to free education. This is not just my campaign, it is vital for us, for future generations of students, and for society as a whole to extend the reach of higher education to as many people as we can.  To achieve this, we will have to be prepared to reach out of our comfort zones.

All comments are welcomed.