STUDENTS stormed the headquarters of Britain’s universities bosses’ club yesterday as they kicked off a new wave of action against tuition fees and education privatisation.

A dozen campaigners occupied the central London office of Universities UK and awarded the group with a “degree in privatisation — bachelor of bullshit.”

Panicked bosses called the police to shutdown the peaceful demonstration.

But determined activists demanded and won a meeting with a senior manager — and told him exactly what they thought of their marketisation agenda.

Goldsmiths student’s union president Howard Littler told the Morning Star: “We were there to deliver them a degree for bullshitting and for all of their hard work and effort on privatising higher education and opposing any sort of accessible education.”

Students assembled at the entrance while a member of Universities UK staff liaised between them and the director of external communications Alistair Jarvis.

Eventually two students were allowed to meet with Mr Jarvis.

The Morning Star requested to be present in the meeting but bosses refused to put their comments on the record. The group also refused to make a comment on the events.

University of the Arts London student union president Shelly Asquith was chosen to deliver Mr Jarvis the large scroll reading: “This is to certify that Universities UK has been awarded the degree of bachelor of bullshit with first-class honours in privatisation.”

Speaking after the meeting, Ms Asquith said: “He seemed quite proud to have taken part in the privatisation agenda, made some excuses for tuition fees and thought it was a good thing the government wasn’t funding them anymore and that they were coming out of student’s own pockets.

“It’s fantastic that he’s so pleased with himself, but unfortunately there are many, many students — myself and the others in the room included — future generations who are going to be priced out of education.”

Ms Asquith also argued that the group’s callousness was equally disrespectful of university staff who are being subjected to cuts to pay and pensions.

“I think it just goes to show how much complicity there is Universities UK and universities themselves with the privatisation agenda employed by the government,” she added.

The action was part of a series of events hosted by the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts and the Student Assembly, highlighting the need for free education in Britain.

The campaign is set to end with a national demonstration on November 19 where over 10,000 students are expected to march through the streets of London.

joanaramiro@peoples-press.com