government – The Orbital

Transphobic Literature Distributed Across Campus

14Oct

By Becca BashfordNo Comments

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Transphobic Literature Distributed Across Campus

Content warning: Transphobia, Transphobic Language Transphobic literature has been discovered in various places across the Royal Holloway campus, including the women’s bathrooms in the Wolfson, Windsor, and Boilerhouse buildings. The leaflets and stickers were created by a prominent transphobic group ‘Fair Play For Women’, who have started a widespread campaign against the Gender Recognition Act (GRA), claiming that reforming the GRA to be trans (including non-binary and inter-sex) inclusive is ‘the worst assault on women’s rights in over a century’. Their campaign includes a full-page ad in the Metro newspaper, which was met with public outrage last week. The government is currently in the process of reforming the Gender Recognition Act, and have released consultation forms to be...

Tuition Fee Hikes announced by Universities before Commons Debate

20Jul

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Tuition Fee Hikes announced by Universities before Commons Debate

A list of universities, including Royal Holloway, have announced increases in their tuition fees though a Parliamentary debate on the issue is still ongoing. Royal Holloway, Kent, and Durham universities have listed the cost for undergraduate students in 2017 will be £9,250, an almost 3% increase from the £9,000 cap imposed by the coalition government in 2012. The revelations come prematurely, with a debate on the exact direction of the tuition fee hikes still ongoing in Parliament. Royal Holloway have accordingly listed the increased tuition cost as being “subject to government confirmation”. This comes amid the introduction of new higher education legislation, which states that universities meeting a necessary standard of education will be allowed to increase their fees in line ...

18Nov

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NHS fees to be introduced for International Students

The government may begin to charge foreign students for use of the National Health Service, an investigation by Welsh student newspaper Gair Rhyyd has revealed. The findings suggest that the government is willing to implement a £150 surcharge to international students regardless of the impact they actually make upon the NHS, on entry to the UK. It is reported that the £150 charge would be added to international student’s visas, but would only apply to new students coming to the UK to study, not international students currently studying at UK universities. Allegedly a policy paper described the current system, which sees non-native students receive the same treatment as UK students as ‘very generous particularly when compared with international practice.’ It is thought that the new le...

25Aug

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Foreign students should not be included in government immigration cuts

Top dogs at British universities have called for international students to be excluded from government efforts to cut immigration. A report, published by Universities UK, showed that 59% of the public thought the government should not reduce international student numbers, even if that limits the government’s ability to cut immigration overall. The organisation, whose 134 members are made up of university vice-chancellors, say the public understands the economic and educational benefits brought to Britain by those who come here to study. “There is a broad public consensus that international students are good for Britain,” said Mark Field, Conservative MP. “People welcome the income they bring to these shores; they are happy to see the skills they have gained here help British firms...