Thousands of educators, students and campaigners are set to converge this Saturday, 10 May, for a national rally calling on the government to “Protect Education Now.” Organised by the University and College Union (UCU), the demonstration will bring together voices from colleges, universities and communities across the country amid growing concern over funding cuts, job losses and the erosion of working conditions in the sector.As the debate over the future of post-16 education intensifies, the rally aims to spotlight what unions describe as a mounting crisis-and to demand urgent action to safeguard access, quality and fairness for the next generation of learners.
National rally unites educators and students to defend the future of UK education
From early-career lecturers to retired teachers, from college apprentices to postgraduate researchers, thousands are converging in London on 10 May to demand a fair, fully funded and inclusive education system.Banners from every corner of the UK will line the route as staff and students speak out against overcrowded classrooms, spiralling workloads and the marketisation of learning.The day will spotlight lived experiences: precariously employed tutors, students juggling multiple jobs to pay fees, and support staff holding institutions together while facing real-terms pay cuts. Their message is clear: the future of education cannot be dictated by short-term cost-cutting and political point-scoring.
Across campuses and communities, UCU branches, student unions and parent groups are coordinating travel, workshops and creative actions designed to turn frustration into organised pressure. Marchers will share concrete alternatives, calling for secure contracts, fair pay, mental health support, decent facilities and free, accessible learning for all. On the day, a series of teach-outs and street assemblies will showcase what a democratic education system could look like in practice:
- Collaborative teach-ins led jointly by staff and students
- Workshops on resisting casualisation and fee hikes
- Creative actions featuring placard-making, poetry and music
- Policy hubs drafting community-backed proposals for government
| Key Rally Moment | Focus |
|---|---|
| Opening Assembly | Shared stories from staff and students |
| Main March | Public call for fair funding and pay |
| Teach-Out Zone | Free public lessons and debates |
| Closing Rally | Next steps for local and national action |
How government funding cuts and marketisation are eroding academic standards and access
Across campuses, the slow squeeze of public disinvestment is reshaping what and how we teach. Departments once valued for critical inquiry are pressured to justify themselves in narrow financial terms, while courses are redesigned around what sells rather than what society needs. The result is a drift toward homogenised, low-risk curricula that privilege short-term employability metrics over autonomous thought, research-led teaching and academic freedom. As market logic tightens its grip, the language of education shifts from learning and discovery to “products”, “customers” and “throughput” – eroding the ethos that universities are public institutions serving the common good.
- Higher fees push students into unsustainable debt and risk pricing out those from lower-income backgrounds.
- Course closures hit smaller subjects, regional campuses and widening-participation routes first.
- Precarious contracts for staff undermine continuity, mentorship and long-term research.
- Metrics-driven culture prioritises league tables over community needs and intellectual diversity.
| Policy Trend | Impact on Standards | Impact on Access |
|---|---|---|
| Funding cuts | Larger classes, fewer resources | Fewer local study options |
| Market competition | Short-term, “popular” courses | Neglect of non-profit-making subjects |
| Tuition fee hikes | Students as “customers”, grade pressure | Debt barrier for working-class students |
Voices from the picket line demands for fair pay secure contracts and protected learning conditions
On campuses across the country, staff and students stand shoulder to shoulder, spelling out what is at stake when education is treated as a disposable commodity. Lecturers describe juggling multiple jobs to make rent, researchers on rolling fixed-term contracts speak of careers built on uncertainty, and students warn that disrupted courses and overcrowded seminars are the visible cost of an underfunded system. Their placards and chants crystallise into clear demands: fair pay that keeps pace with living costs, secure contracts that end the revolving door of precarity, and learning conditions that put time, care and academic freedom before profit.
- End casualisation so staff can plan their lives and support students consistently.
- Close the pay gap across gender, race and disability, backed by clear data.
- Guarantee contact hours and properly resourced teaching for every student.
- Protect research time from relentless administrative and market pressures.
- Ring-fence mental health support for staff and students in every institution.
| Voice | What they’re saying |
|---|---|
| Early-career lecturer | “I teach hundreds of students but don’t know if I’ll have a job next term.” |
| Student rep | “Our fees should fund teaching, not a race to the bottom in staff contracts.” |
| Lab technician | “Safe, well-funded labs are a learning condition, not a luxury.” |
| Senior academic | “Without secure careers, we lose the next generation of scholars.” |
What you can do now practical steps to support UCU’s Protect Education Now campaign
Every member, student and ally can turn solidarity into concrete action in the days leading up to 10 May. Start by using your own networks: share campaign materials on social media with clear calls to action, add a Protect Education Now banner to your email signature, and talk to colleagues, friends and family about why publicly funded, accessible education matters. On campus,work with your local UCU branch to organize a lunchtime briefing,stall or teach-in,using it to gather signatures for petitions,distribute leaflets and answer questions about the impact of cuts,outsourcing and casualisation. Small, visible acts – from wearing campaign badges to putting posters in office windows – help to build a sense of momentum and show that this is a collective fight, not an individual grievance.
Direct engagement with decision-makers is equally vital. Write to your MP, local councillors and institutional leaders, asking them to back the campaign’s core demands and attend the national rally; short, personalised messages are far more powerful than generic templates. Trade union branches can pass supporting motions,donate to hardship funds and coordinate travel so that staff and students can get to London together,building unity on the journey and also on the march. To help you plan, share and track your involvement, use the simple overview below:
| Action | Who can do it? | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Share campaign materials | Staff, students, supporters | Boosts visibility |
| Host a campus briefing | Local UCU branches | Informs and organises |
| Write to your MP | Constituents | Pressures policymakers |
| Arrange group travel | Branches & societies | Increases rally turnout |
To Wrap It Up
As cuts bite deeper and attacks on the sector intensify, the message from staff, students and communities is becoming unfeasible to ignore: education is not a luxury, but a public good that underpins our democracy, our economy and our collective future.
Saturday 10 May is not just another date in the diary.It is a test of political will and public resolve. Whether you are a lecturer,a lab technician,a librarian,a cleaner,a student or a parent,the call is the same: show that this country will not stand by while classrooms and campuses are hollowed out.
The Protect Education Now rally is a chance to draw a line and to demand a different path – one that values staff,supports students and secures the institutions that serve every community. What happens next will depend,in no small part,on who shows up.
