SAVE HALLEY NURSERY! Emma Phillips asks "Why should we care?"
			You should all be vaguely aware of the current campaign to save the Halley Nursery on St Matts campus, but for all you younger, carefree students the issue of childcare may seem pretty insignificant.  I mean, compared with the price of beer, or the merits of Halle Berry in the new Bond film, snotty-nosed children doing paint prints of sea-horses are hardly worth consideration at all!  But it's not just about the children.  It's about us, the students having our say, and making St Matts accessible to everyone.   I think most of you would agree that the thing we love about St Matts is the homely atmosphere, being able to while away hours in the bar as others around us come and go, making one pint last us the whole afternoon because we can't scrape together enough coppers for anymore!  We're all so laid-back about life that we just let things pass us by.  But what happens when we suddenly wake up from our dream-like state to discover that the big UWE bosses have changed everything?  If we let them close down the nursery now, just like that, what's to stop them doubling the price of beer just like that, or replacing the pool tables with tiddly-winks?  Roughly 60% of the children who attend the nursery are those of students, who without these childcare facilities wouldn't be able to study with us here at UWE.  A further percentage of the children are those of staff.  Having a nursery on campus means parents can spend more time with their children, visiting them between lectures and not having to travel half way across town to drop them off and pick them up. Furthermore, Halley Nursery has been highly praised by education watchdogs OFSTED for providing high quality care, giving parents reassurance that their children are in good hands amongst recent concerns over children's safety. So, why close the nursery down?  As always the answer comes down to the same thing: money. The Students Union feels that it is the responsibility of the University to fund the nursery, in accordance with their policy of equal opportunities for everyone, and also in encouraging more Students into the University.  Incredibly, however, the University feel they cannot afford the £10,000 a year required to keep the nursery open, despite their annual turnover of £110 million.  Many meetings have already been put off by the University, leaving many people in limbo wondering if they will still have childcare facilities next year, or jobs. The current campaign, led by Student Support Officer Roseanne Levene, is running well, and receiving lots of support with petition signatures, but it is difficult to assess it's effectiveness so far.  This is the largest campaign against the University since the campaign for anonymous marking five years ago, and it is our chance to show UWE bosses that we do have a voice and that they shouldn't be able to treat us like kids anymore, making decisions for us. The Students Union is in place to give us a say and we should use it! To register your support please sign the petitions or for more information contact Roseanne at Student.Support@uwe.ac.uk Back to Home Page