Armed forces make over 300 visits to UK universities in two years

Manchester University students union banned military societies from recruiting on campus throughout its 2013 welcome week. Photograph: Alamy

British universities have opened their doors to let the armed forces to make 341 visits to recruit college students in two years.

In response to a Freedom of Details request by the Guardian, the Ministry of Defence reveals the extent to which the armed forces is focusing on universities to enlist students to the army, air force and navy.

Its figures present Birmingham has welcomed a lot more recruiters than any other university, with twenty visits given that the start off of last year. Leeds and Leicester follow, with 17 and sixteen recruitment visits respectively.

The amount of occasions went up last yr from 144 visits to recruit and promote in 2012 to 197 visits in 2013.

Numerous students unions have taken a stand against military recruitment on campus. A variety of universities, such as Stirling, the University of London and the University of the West of Scotland (UWS), had been not visited at all by the armed forces in a recruitment or promotional capacity.

Blane Abercrombie, president of the UWS students union, which is a single of several to ban enlistment on campus, describes the recruitment drive as “ridiculous”.

“It is preying on vulnerable college students and can make international students truly feel unsafe. University campus is a spot for understanding, not for getting signed up to go to war. We have acquired a duty as pupil unions to make sure our college students truly feel risk-free on campus.”

This year, Manchester University’s students union followed suit and turned away a Royal Navy unit wishing to recruit on campus for the duration of freshers week, saying: “Welcome week is not the proper time for recruitment to the armed forces.

“We really feel that their presence might make the campus seem unwelcoming to some new and present students.”

Some argue that the presence of armed forces on campuses is a type of “exploitation”.

George Iordanou, a doctoral researcher in political concept at the University of Warwick, says: “College students are vulnerable because of the minimal possibilities of discovering employment on graduating, the student loan bubble and increased fees.

“The army are not the problem, but universities shouldn’t be producing the political determination of permitting them to be on campuses. It’s not that they shouldn’t have entry to college students, but that market place need to take place outdoors university.”

Other individuals truly feel military organisations are disproportionately represented at university careers fairs. Holly-Rae Smith, universities network co-ordinator for the Campaign Against Arms Trade, says: “The far more universities outsource their funding, the more enticing it is to get arms organizations and the armed forces to come in and fill the gaps.

“A whole lot of universities have a disproportionate volume of firms who can afford to be there. Some recruitment fairs value £600 a table, so it prices out smaller neighborhood companies.”

Nonetheless, many folks are strongly towards banning the military from campus. The ban at Manchester University sparked an on the internet petition, reaching 531 supporting votes at the time of writing.

It reads: “[These organisations] supply members with an comprehending of military knowledge and whilst some go on to signal up following graduation, it is a small minority.

“They do not motivate violence or harm to other individuals. They do not put strain on members to join the armed forces right after university. They do not impact daily life on campus or operate in the public eye of college students, except throughout welcome week.

“We call on UMSU to instantly reinstate their correct to sign up new members on campus, so that students may possibly have the freedom and decision to belong to these worthy organisations.”

Numerous say that anger directed at student members of armed force societies is specifically misplaced. Earlier this year, members of student military associations across Glasgow spoke out towards the “harassment” they had acquired for wearing regimental uniform on university grounds.

A spokesperson for the armed forces says that military student societies should be in a position to recruit on campus.

“University officer education corps are recognised and legitimate university societies that provide students an exciting, challenging and rewarding encounter during their time at university,” he says.

“We are of the see that members of the university officer coaching corps ought to be allowed to attend freshers fairs like each other society.”

Armed forces make over 300 visits to UK universities in two years

Court forces student protesters to end occupation

College students have occupied the senate chamber at Birmingham University. Photograph: Defend Education

Student group Defend Training, which has been occupying the University of Birmingham’s senate chamber since Wednesday evening, has been forced to contact off its protest.

The occupation will end right now right after court proceedings concluded with a possession buy to remove the recent occupants and an injunction towards related unauthorised occupational protests.

The recent student union vice-president Hattie Craig, a former vice-president Simon Furse and “individuals unknown” have been named in the injunction, and will face imprisonment if concerned in comparable occupations in the subsequent twelve months.

Defend Schooling is demanding higher university democracy, fairer shell out for university staff and that the vice-chancellor “David Eastwood and the University of Birmingham must publicly take back their position that fees should be increased”.

Calling for a genuine-terms pay improve for university personnel, the group says the Vice Chancellor’s salary of £409,000 is unacceptable when reduced-paid employees encounter a shell out rise of one%. The group blockaded five entrances to the university’s Edgbaston campus earlier this month to increase awareness of the spend ratio among the lowest- and the highest-paid employees.

It is opposing calls for tuition fees to be improved to £16,000 and inisists “staff and students must have more electrical power in each and every level of university selection generating”.

Justifying the occupation, it says: “We are fighting this campaign to consider and put stress on the university to directly accept the demands but also simply because we wish to start a debate and dialogue among students and workers at the university about the type of institution we want it to be, and how we can bring this about.”

In an interview with the University of Birmingham’s pupil newspaper, Redbrick, a spokesperson for Defend Schooling stated: “Inside the occupation, morale is higher.” A protest was organised on Friday to present support for the occupation, which protesters say was filmed by university safety.

Defend Education have been tweeting from inside the occupied senate chamber, the place they have been able to get provisions delivered.

View on campus has been mixed. Charlie Winch, a third-year international relations pupil, says: “This little group of occupiers risk widening the already developing divide amongst the university and its students. The university is not going to modify its basic place in light of this occupation.”

Ben Jackson, a third-12 months English with creative creating pupil, was at the protest. He says: “We discussed on Friday what we as a student local community must do in an easy, friendly and open method. It really is a shame that senior management are proving so challenging to speak to, even to people who’ve sat themselves down and presented their ideas and intentions totally and obviously.”

The occupants’ spokesperson claims the university “completely ignored our demands”. He says they had to make the protest “unmanageable” for the university to pay attention, and that so far it has been “unbelievably productive”.

The University of Birmingham says in a statement: “Universities are spots of cost-free speech and we respect the rights of students to protest peacefully and inside of the law.

“Our priority is the safety and wellbeing of our students, personnel and the wider local community, and we are concerned where any protest poses a prospective hazard to protesters or bystanders, or triggers unwarranted disruptions to study or function, or damage to residence.

“We are especially concerned that the actions of this modest variety of students is diverting safety and security sources and probably diminishing the safety of our 28,000 other college students.”

Court forces student protesters to end occupation