Students on the march in Britain as government due to vote on fees

Dec 9, 2010, 12:53 GMT

London - Thousands of university students and secondary school pupils were on the march in Britain Thursday to protest government plans to raise tuition fees from 2012.

The demonstrations, in London and a dozen other major cities across Britain, coincided with a final debate on the measures in parliament and a vote due later Thursday.

The planned increase in annual fees, from the current level of 3,290 pounds (5,200 dollars) to a maximum of 9,000 pounds, has proved to be the first crucial test for the Conservative-Liberal government since it came to power in May.

The loans would be repayable after students earn at least 21,000 pounds a year.

The Liberals, led by Nick Clegg, have been the prime targets of student criticism, as they ruled out an increase in fees during the election campaign, and said they would phase out the charge over six years.

While the government argues that the trebling of fees is necessary to secure sustainable long-term funding for university education, critics maintain that students from less well-off backgrounds will be deterred from opting for university education.

A large number of pupils, some as young as 12, have also joined the protests.

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