Vote AmateyDoku #1 VP Higher Education

We need an NUS working on and winning on the issues that matter to students- like assessment and feedback, access, teaching quality and contact time. But over the past year I’ve watched NUS become less influential and less in tune with the real issues- and our failure to win for students in the HE Bill.

My family came to the United Kingdom from Ghana, and from a young age they have drilled into me the importance of education. As a black student and then sabbatical officer at Cambridge, I know when education is used to empower, but how many can be systematically shut out from receiving its full benefits.

Students need a strong NUS. Led by Students’ Unions, we need to restore our power at the national level, making changes that students want. We need to use the right tactics at the right time. It’s how I’ve led Cambridge Students’ Union this year, and it’s how I will lead NUS’ HE Campaign at this crucial time for students.

The issues that matter

The Problem

It is no secret that I am for Free Education- education is a public good, and should be funded as such. But Free Education is a political position that is unlikely to be realisedunder this government. There is nothing radical or progressive about ignoring the real issues that students are facing at university. When students are stretched for cash, drowning in debt and institutions are seeing rising complaints – we need to focus on real wins.

The Plan

  • Launch an immediate campaign with student finance providers to give students more flexibility with their student maintenance income to ensure no student goes without food or a roof over their head.
  • Campaign to ensure that every student is covered and aware of a full time advisor within students’ unions, funded by universities, who can act as an ombudsman in the case of complaints against their institution and can refer cases the OIA
  • Create a national campaigns hub for educational campaigns on campus such as timetabling, library provision and feedback

Tertiary education is changing

The Problem

HE is being reformed without our input. With costs and debt rising across all forms of Tertiary Education, we have less choice and power as students despite the consumer narrative- yet we’re not using the new levers open to us. Walking away and putting our trust in markets or the government isn’t good enough.

The Plan

  • Building on SU teaching awards, develop a student led Excellent Teaching Accreditation that preserves the autonomy of Universities, ditches arbitrary metrics, and allows all Universities to thrive not compete
  • Support choice and diversity when developing tactics on the TEF. Forcing students to either be pro- or against the NSS boycott undermines solidarity within the student movement. NUS should aim to support Unions to oppose TEF in whatever way the Union sees fit.
  • Lobby the government to include a mandatory transparency requirements on institutions under the Office for Students including level and number of complaints by course, department and school; and a national course rep development scheme

A diverse Higher Education system

The Problem

Attainment gaps, higher dropout rates and low progression to further study for BME students are a national disgrace and entrench inequality. The rise of anti-Semitism and Prevent-fuelled Islamophobia lead to students living in fear on campuses and within the student movement Liberation campaigns have raised this time and time again and we need to rise to the challenge. The HE Campaign has to take a lead- ensuring curriculums reflect the diversity of our membership and tackling Prevent effectively.

The Plan

  • Work with Student Unions to give them the tools to lobby their Unis to sign up to the Race Equality Charter Mark and lobby for representation on the Race Equality Charter Mark accreditation Boards
  • Create a national commission to tackle the BME Attainment gap which researches specific ways to tackle the core causes and create an action plan with students’ unions
  • Support Students’ Unions to ensure that Universities are adopting a more liberated curricula - working with liberation campaigns and faith groups

Uncertain futures

The problem?

Students are leaving University burdened with crippling debt that’s being sold off the private companies. Brexit is leading to years of negotiation and a lack of clarity for EU and International Students, whilst our Government consistently fails to demonstrate that the UK is open and tolerant. The sector is on a precipice, expanding and debt ridden and in desperation turning to the private sector to continue to survive. NUS can often challenge short term changes, but the movement keeps missing the bigger picture - HE is fundamentally under threat and someone needs to start showing leadership.

The Plan

  • Publish our own White Paper, led by Students’ Unions, outlining our key demands from the EU negotiations- protecting the rights of EU and International Students, ensuring the right of UK students to study abroad (Erasmus schemes) and securing research grants and funding affected by Brexit
  • Host a European Student Union Leaders summit in the UK to reaffirm our generation’s overwhelming desire to shun isolationism
  • Set up a taskforce within the NUS to focus purely on the impact Brexit will have on HE as negotiations get underway

In my year as President at Cambridge I:

  • Secured a freeze on fees for current undergraduate students, and a guarantee from the University that fees for Home students and International Students will be frozen for the duration of their course
  • Worked with the University to roll out Unconscious bias training across 31 Colleges after successful pilot scheme and overwhelming support from the Student Council
  • Was a founding member of the University’s Self-Assessment Team for the Race Equality Charter Mark and pushed for BME Admissions targets to be included within future OFFA Agreements for the University
  • Comprehensively opposed the marketisation of Higher Education and secured a commitment that extra funding will go into Widening Participation in the event of rising fees

“Now more than ever we need a credible campaigner who will put students first. Amatey’s record is impressive and speaks for itself. He can help students’ unions win and that’s why I’m backing him.”- Helen Pritchard, UWLSU

“Amatey has a brilliant record of standing up for students on education issues. He understands that the NUS needs to be relevant to students’ day to day lives and is committed to making a real, tangible difference”- Dom Trendall, Sheffield SU

“I can’t think of a better and more impressive candidate for VPHE than Amatey. He understands policy, is an amazing negotiator and most importantly puts student voice at the heart of everything he does”- Rachel Holland Leicester SU