Britain’s bizarre and dishonorable National Union of Students

[Mosby]

http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/britains-bizarre-and-dishonorable-national-union-of-students/

Don't like Boteach OK, but the facts he presents are facts.

[T_i_B]

1. Ah, student politics

The complaints I have about the NUS have little to do with using jazz hands (which is British sign language for applause anyway) instead of applause and more to do with them being lousy at representing students. Which is why sucessive governments have been able to get away with making the cost of university education extortionate.

When I was at Uni, too many people in the NUS seemed to be using the organisation as a stepping stone to a career in the Labour party.

[Jeneral2885]

2. Not just NUS different student unions

hate all religious groups and promote fetish societies.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. "promote fetish societies"?

Do tell. This seems a strange generalisation to make.

[T_i_B]

6. Fetish societies?

There are many different societies for students to join at uni, but I don't ever recall seeing a fetish society. Things like BDSM don't interest students in the same way that rugby or real ale does!

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. Maybe they're shoshieties for Schotsmen who talk like Sean Connery

and went to Fettesh ...

[LeftishBrit]

5. What's a 'fetish society'?

I wouldn't have said that student unions in general 'hate all religious groups'. There may be individual activists who do.

[LeftishBrit]

4. The NUS should stick to looking after their membership - students these days are fleeced all round

Unfortunately from this point of view, most students have other preoccupations (whether getting a First, getting a job, getting laid, getting drunk, or all of these) than spending a lot of time on political campaigning; and many who do have political interests, will join a campaigning group on a particular issue, or a political party, rather than become a student union activist. Those who do become student union activists are likely to be active in the union of their particular college or university rather than the NUS as such.

This means that those who do become activists in the NUS are likely to be very unrepresentative. Sometimes, students are lucky with their representation; but quite often, the NUS activists are careerists, nutters, or just useless.

[Jeneral2885]

8. I thought they have loads

of members who don't bother to study or turn up for seminars or lectures but protest.

[LeftishBrit]

9. Maybe in the Seventies; not now (and I speak as a lecturer)

Not all students work hard, but it's not in most cases because they're too busy protesting!