Student unions are run by previous students or current students of your university. They’re supposed to represent the student body, protect the interests of students and give students the voice to speak. Am I the only one that believes they’re representing the opposite? Student unions are probably one of the biggest lies that the UK educational system has to offer.

Covid-19 has put into perspective how many students have felt abandoned and need a voice, especially now with university fees not being lowered, students being left to fight to pay for abandoned university halls and accommodation. The only time I’ve heard the student union reach out to give us a voice is when they’ve asked us who we want to vote for; we don’t even know who you are?

After the elections have been held, we won’t hear from them. Their excitement for running the union disappears, emails that were sent every day may appear once a week, then they’re unaccounted for the rest of the year, until the elections approach again.

Student unions seem to only be there to represent the political side, but only their own political side. Students are struggling with online lectures, struggling to keep on track, and yet the union wants you to vote for your representatives. Aside from this, I just seem to be receiving spam emails of ways to spend money instead of helping me cover my rent. As if we don’t have enough stress with our last assignment and dissertations.

Afar from all these negatives, the highest paying student president can earn up to £26,000. Yet, we hear nothing from them. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to see the union stand as a representative and help make decisions on democratic issues, giving the students of the university a place to make a stand. Yet here we stand seeming to come together without the union and announcing our views without their help. Something needs to change.

Image courtesy of Brett Jordan.

Categories: Article, Education, OpinionTags: Education, Opinion, student union, university