Education
Subversion in North London
Rhodes Boyson
A society which is not prepared to defend itself externally and internally will die. Tolerance does not extend to the encouragemeat and payment of men who will overthrow our liberal society and replace it by a repressive totalitarianism. These apparently obvious truisms must be repeated because in our tolerance of the activities of certain university and school teaching staff and especially in our financing of the National Union of Students it appears that our democratic society is working out a veritable death wish.
Membership of student unions is compulsory in a government-sponsored closed shop. Some 610,000 students are enrolled whether they like it or not in student unions at fees of up to 120 a year paid by their local authorities: These student unions appoint full-time officers, many of whom are members of the International Socialists, the Communist Party or in the current President of the NUS the Marxist wing of a Labour Party swinging rapidly to the Left. Thus there are hundreds of full-time extremist union officers paid by the rate and taxpayers to subvert our society.
The intolerance which brought the physical attacks on Professor Eysenck and Professor Huntington is not past history. In March a Professor at Essex University was punched in the face and had his glasses knocked off by extremist left-wing students attempting to disrupt examinations. Some £20,000 has been set aside by the National Union of Students this year for campaigns and demonstrations. The NUS has also recently issued a Direct Action Briefing and at its April conference promised more confrontation. We have also seen the gutless surrender of Cambridge authorities to the students who occupied the Senate House in a demand for creches and nurseries paid out of public funds for the children of students. There must be something in the air of Cambridge which now debilitates students to such an extent that they can no longer take responsibility for the children they have bred. The British taxpayer might also like to know that several student unions have adopted Long Kesh internees.
Left-wing student agitation is bad enough but where it is joined with staff agitation it is worse. The classic case of this is at the North London Polytechnic whose affairs are fast becoming a national scandal. There has been a systematic attempt to undermine the Principal, Mr Miller, since has was appointed. Left-wing students and left-wing staff have worked on the principle of "Give us our demands today, we shall have new ones tomorrow." The destruction of learning and order and tolerance has been the aim, not the rectifying of grievances. The Principal has been physically assaulted and any attempt to re-establish firm academic standards flouted. There have been endless disruptions to the Court of Governors and the Academic Board, occupations, break-ins and the stealing of documents. Only the most courageous and dedicated members of staff have been able to stand against the continual pressure and blackmail.
Compulsory subventions to the North London Polytechnic Students Union have kept the left-wing agitators on the public payroll. All full-time officers have been International Socialists or been supported by International Socialists. One officer has been paid by the public full-time, for four years of sabbaticals to continue his disruptive activities. Yet delegates to national conferences have been elected by meetings representing only one per cent of students and there has not been a fully quorate meeting since January this year.
Lord Annan performed a public service by his letter in the Times drawing attention to the troubles at the North London Polytechnic. A public inquiry independent of the ill-fated Inner London Education Authority, the responsible body, is desperately needed. However, Lord Annan's letter brought out one very interesting fact — three 'responsible' members of staff have written a book on the disruptions there which will come out in the autumn, Watch out for revelations as to how subversives undermine our society not only in Polytechnics, but in trade unions and parts of the Labour Party. The book will make fascinating reading and could be the beginning of the fight back. It is time that the moderates became immoderate in defence of moderation and on the principle of reciprocity only offered tolerance to those who understood the meaning of the word and were prepared to offer it back. Only thus can the free society withstand its present enemies.
Dr Rhodes Boyson is Conservative MP for Brent North
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