Lots of stuff happening, little time to read. Wall Street being occupied, our own educational system commercializing more and more. The last page of every Krantje Boord always includes some short news (in English) which are read in a few seconds. Here’s a preview of October’s Krantje Boord Short.

Wall Street occupied by thousands for two weeks now

October 2011: attempts at revolutions
“Inspired by our sisters and brothers in Tunis, Cairo, Bengazi, Daraa, Palestine-Israel, Spain and Greece, we too call for a regime change: a global regime change” is the beginning of a call published on many websites, for a global revolution on October 15. As part of this revolution, a bike tour towards Brussels will leave Amsterdam on October 10, and many groups from around the world endorce the call to “meet on the streets to initiate the global change we want” and “let politicians, and the financial elites they serve, know it is up to us, the people, to decide our future”.

Another call was published in the US to create a “freedom plaza” on October 6th in Washington D.C. to “Stop the machine!” and “Create a New World!”. The “call for all who are deeply concerned with injustice, militarism and environmental destruction to join in ending concentrated corporate power and taking direct control of a real participatory democracy” is supported by almost 150 organizations and networks. At the time of writing, 700 people have been arrested in a protest near Wall street following 2 weeks of occupation by the “Occupy Wall Street Movement”. Sources: KSU, October2011.org & occupywallst.org.

Tuition fees abolished in Hamburg, Germany
From the second semester of 2012/2013, students in Hamburg will no longer pay tuition fees. Now, only two German states are charging tuition fees. Since the introduction of tuition fees in 2006/2007 in Germany, students in Germany have campaigned intensively to resist them. Source: NDR.de

48 governors of public higher education earn wages above norm
The general union of education workers (Aob) says that 48 administrators of public schools – 30 from universities and 18 from polytectics – earn wages above the unbinding norm of 193.000 euros. Now, there exists only an obligation to publish the exact wages of administrators when they are above 193.000 euros, though the Aob lobbies for a binding legal maximum. Source: dub.uu.nl

Higher education institutions form cartels and lobby for more expensive housing
Universities appeared to have formed cartels to limit competition and agree upon prices for second studies, for which they can charge tuition fees above the legal maximum of 1713 euros. The Collective Action Universities Foundation (SCAU) says universities are thereby charging students more than their costs would legitimize. State secretary of Education Halbe Zijlstra says the government has no role to play in this quarrel. Meanwhile, an organization representing higher education institutions and municipalities are lobbying for a deregulation of the knowledge sector and the possibility to charge higher rents for student housing, which they say would make it more lucrative to build them. Source: Trajectum.hu.