It’s an absolute pleasure to introduce our new monthly column on all things NUS Scotland. For the purposes of introductions, I’m Liam McCabe, the President of NUS Scotland – the National Union of Students Scotland – and we are your national union. We exist to promote, defend and extend the rights of students, representing 500,000 students across Scotland – about 10% of the entire Scottish population. This update – and the ones to come – are another way we’re reaching out to our members directly. Every year NUS Scotland campaigns and wins change for our members, improving the lives of students the length and breadth of Scotland. However, we spend so much time fighting for change that we barely pause to celebrate what we have achieved! To make sure that we don’t keep moving on to the next challenge without letting students know about what has been won in your name, here’s a very quick recap on what we have won in the past year alone.
Through our Budget for Better campaign and lobbying the Scottish Government, we secured over £21 million a year of extra investment in the student support system. This money is going into the pockets of students in Scotland who need it most, for example, care-experienced students now receive a bursary – with no loan – that is tied to the Real Living Wage. The government have stated that it is now their aim to realise a similar package for all students and we’ll continue to push them to achieve that goal.
Similarly, because of our non-stop campaigning on mental health, the Scottish Government announced last year an additional £20 million of funding for 80 new mental health counsellors in Scotland’s colleges and universities. This move followed our shock FOI findings that mental health waiting times on campus were skyrocketing across Scotland. Students are always balancing the demands of their studies with their need to keep a roof over their head, food on their plate and a shirt on their back. All of these pressures combined are creating a mental health crisis on campus that we have ever seen before. We’re continuing to work closely with the Scottish government to monitor how this investment is rolled out, ensuring that it is being distributed equitably and that services meet the diverse needs of our student body. However, our activity isn’t all Government facing.
Indeed, we have worked with your students’ union locally to end graduation charges for all students. Thanks to our ‘Free to Graduate’ campaign, which has seen 50% of NUS Scotland members scrap fees at their institutions, NUS Scotland and GCU Students’ Association managed to remove this academic steal tax on student success. This is a monumental achievement and indicates that our national movement is present on your campus, fighting and winning for you. It is that same national movement – the length and breadth of Scotland – that is tackling issues that matter to students head-on and changing things for the better. We were proud to campaign on the climate emergency, leading the national response to our students’ call for climate change. We have worked with our trade union partners – the STUC, Unite the Union, EIS FELA, UCU and much more – to ensure students are no longer preyed upon by exploitative employers, and going underpaid in precarious, insecure work. Finally, we refused to stand by while the UK Government recklessly dragged this country to the brink of a No Deal Brexit, jeopardising the opportunities and future prospects of students in Scotland. We cannot and will not accept any deal that hurts students. Whether that is by removing Erasmus+, ending freedom of movement, losing out on Horizon 2020 research funding or otherwise, and we stand ready to mobilise students to register to vote and encourage them to do so in the event of any future general elections (or referendums!)
None of this would have been possible without the help, support, advocacy and activism of our membership – students and students associations alike. The issues that matter to
you are the issues that matter to me. So get in touch, find me on all the usual social media platforms, or email me directly on Liam.McCabe@nus-scotland.org.uk!
We are Scotland’s national voice for students, and our voice – your voice – will not be silenced.
Feature Image Credit: NUS Scotland
