UK Lecturers Refuse to Spy on Students

[Wokeman]

http://www.propagandamatrix.com/articles/may2007/290507_b_lecturers.ht m

[xmasdale]

This is AOL's report on the subject.

I think we should be contacting the ring-leaders of those who are resisting this pressure to say: "Congratulations! And do you think you would be under this pressure if it weren't for 9/11 and 7/7? What do you think about those terrorist outrages? Do you realise that there is an overwhelming amount of evidence to show that the official account of those events is untrue and that there is a strong implication of US and UK official involvement in those plots?"


Muslim student 'witch hunt' opposed
Last Updated: Thursday, 31 May 2007, 00:06 GMT
- Search: Universities Islamic extremism

Academics have vowed to oppose the Government's drive to tackle Islamic extremism in universities, condemning the initiative as a "witch-hunt" against Muslim students.

Ministers want universities to work with the police to report students suspected of holding violent extremist views.

But members of the University and College Union (UCU) voted unanimously to boycott the Government's call for academics to "inform on" their students.

Delegates at the union's annual congress in Bournemouth backed a motion which committed members to oppose the plans and "campaign against all attacks on civil liberties".

Cliff Snaith, a delegate from London Metropolitan University, condemned Home Secretary John Reid's hard-line approach to tackling the terrorist threat.

He told the conference: "I teach the law and I understand and teach the dangers of a surveillance culture.

"Lecturers inform students, they do not inform on their students. It is that simple."

UCU joint general secretary Sally Hunt said academics did not want to be transformed into "some quasi secret service".

"UCU delegates have made it clear that they will oppose Government attempts to restrict academic freedom or free speech on campus," she said.

"Lecturers want to teach students, if they wanted to police them they would have joined the force. Universities must remain safe spaces for lecturers and students to discuss and debate all sorts of ideas, including those that some people may consider challenging, offensive and even extreme."

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[Reflecter]

I am extremely pleased by the stance of the UCU on this. They didn't mince words did they. Let That be a lesson to you Dr Reid.

I think your idea of thanking the resisters is very valid and I think that should extend to the recent policemen statements regarding Orwell going to far and such like. I doubt these people have received any backing for going against the grain.

[xmasdale]

[Reflecter]

Absolutely N,

Sorry for the delay, as I'm in PC hell at the moment with one PC dead and the other giving me serious interference issues from dying components.

Here's the basic contact details for those mentioned in the article (Im sure you had them already ) I'll check up the police contacts later today and any other media coverage of this UCU action for other people to contact and I will draft something shortly.

I think something from on high would carry more clout but I'll put something together for anyone's amusement regardless.

Regards

RM

UCU head office
hq@ucu.org.uk
http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=1680

Registered address:
27 Britannia Street
London
WC1X 9JP
United Kingdom


Sally Hunt UCU joint general secretary

Sally Hunt
General secretary
shunt@ucu.org.uk|
Tel:020 7670 9729
Fax:020 7670 9799

Cliff Snaith
London Metropolitan University
c.snaith@londonmet.ac.uk <c.snaith@londonmet.ac.uk> Email address
LLM European and International Law Tutor