What do student protests mean? Are they the expression of a very bad going economy? Students are usually the first to protest, because they are young and wild.
Several reasons. The Government is:
1) Removing the EMA for 16-18 year olds. The EMA is an allowance which gives them £30 a week to continue in school.
2) Raise the maximum amount University's can charge a year from £3k to £6k, and up to £9k under special circumstances (which will affect students over 18). This amount will only need to be paid back once the graduates are earning more than £21k, but the amount per month will be less than it is now. This obviously means though that they will be paying it back for longer. These loans are charged interest.
The main thrust is that the government is pushing the troubles with the banks and all these debts onto this generation of learners, when members of the government all went to university for free. The argument is that this will put off or price students from the working and lower middle classes off going to uni, meaning only the rich will be able to afford to go to Uni.
Have a look here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11483638
