1. COUNTERING PREVENT
My main priority is to work hard with the NUS to counter the Prevent strategy against Muslim and anti-establisbment radicals. Prevent, as most of you know, has serious implications for our freedom of speech, academic experience and teacher-student confidentiality. As a Muslim who will be profoundly affected by these measures in a negative way, I can assure you I will do everything in my power to negate the effects of Prevent for students across the country. I will work with organisations and people within the NUS that actively oppose the Prevent strategy and provide support for those that have been directly been affected by Prevent or feel restricted or oppressed by Prevent.
2. DE-MARKETISATION
The de-marketisation of education is another priority of mine, as I strongly believe that education is a right for all and not just a privilege for the privileged few. Cuts to academic funding, research and courses thinly masked as 'reform' shows a complete disregard for the youth of today, and if elected I will fight hard to ensure that the NUS is actively involved in protecting university courses that enrich both the knowledge of students across the UK and their educational experience. Education has become a means to an end rather than an end in itself, and I would love to be involved in initiatives and strategies that would make higher education more than glorified training for a career; I believe that the NUS should strive to make higher education as empowering and worthwhile as possible.
3. GRANTS NOT LOANS
With marketisation comes the privatisation of education, and the latest goverment move to scrap student grants and replace them with interest loans - further crippling the UK student with debt - is another step too far. As someone who relies on grants to fund their university degree, this is an issue that is close to my heart. Many potential students from inner-city backgrounds will feel discouraged from fulfilling their ambitions; this is nothing short of a disgrace. I will campaign tirelessly for the reinstatement of student grants, as well as organising opposition within and outside the NUS to all university fees and supporting students from lesser backgrounds.