My new heroes - some Warwick University students

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Who chose not to be bullied and to further their education:

A group of history undergraduates at Warwick are causing controversy by organising their own student-led lectures while their tutors go on strike.

It doesn't matter whether or not you support the reasons for the strike, these students show initiative, creativity and leadership. They have every right to take this action, just as the lecturers have every right to go on strike. And it sticks a couple of fingers up at the bullying nature of trade unions when it comes to what they deem to be 'strike-breaking'. 

And the response of the union is, as ever, to threaten:

“Further escalation of the dispute, including a ban on marking, will unfortunately lead to greater disruption. We urge students to contact their vice-chancellor or principal and ask them to lobby the national employers’ negotiating body, UCEA, to urgently reopen negotiations.”

The message seems to be: "do what we say students or we'll stop you from getting the education you're paying for".

Well done to those students for standing up and making clear that they are the customer here - as one student put it:

"This is an argument between the staff and governing body, not the students and it is not right that we are jeopardised. It is unfortunate that the education system seems to be neglecting its primary aim in the face of monetary conflicts."

Well said and quite understandable given £9,000 in fees!

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Is the Charity Commission admitting defeat on public benefit?

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It certainly sounds that way...

Robert Pearce QC told the hearing in the Upper Tribunal (Tax and Chancery) yesterday: "The commission’s programme of public benefit assessments is now at an end. "Irrespective of the outcome of this case, the commission intends to review the guidance in the light of its experience of its use."

Or more to the point, in a manner less likely to annoy Ministers by involving the courts in long drawn out reviews! As the National Council for Voluntary Organisations pointed out:

"The commission’s guidance on public benefit could be clearer, so the proposal that it should be reviewed after this week is welcomed."

Which was rather the point of the challenge from the Independent Schools Council - the Charity Commission were giving opaque guidance and then jumping up and down on a few schools that did not "comply" with this vague guidance. And, of course, the random nature of the Commissions interpretation of the guidance worried a load of other charities who, for whatever reason, charged fees.

Time to put Ms Leather back in her box and get the Charity Commission back to doing its core job - ensuring charities are meeting their charitable aims and are managed properly. End of.

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