How to Build REVOLUTION in Schools and Colleges – An Activists’ Guide.
- So you’ve decided to build REVOLUTION in your school or college, probably because of the education cuts the Tories are making. The only way we can beat these cuts is through action, by all students across the country – here’s a step-by-step guide on how to build support for action in your school or college.
- First things first, you’re going to need some support for your ideas. Talk to your mates about things like education cuts, and tell them your opinion on the matter. Chances are, they’re going to agree with you. Now you’ll have some people who you can work with.
- Next, you need to start thinking of what action you’re going to take. But before you do this, you’re going to have to get other students interested.
- If you feel confident enough, you can talk to your class or your tutor group about education cuts. It doesn’t have to be a long-winded speech; you just need to tell your fellow students that they’re going to suffer from the cuts. Make sure you get their contact details so you can keep in touch about what you’re planning (if you’re in the same class and so see each other every day, this might not be necessary.)
- Even if you’re not a confident person, you’re still able to get other students involved. All you need is a petition where students can leave their email address/phone number so you can get in touch with them.
- Now you need to hold an organising meeting. It can be held in a spare classroom, a certain corner of the canteen, a café near the school/college or even in the playground. Make sure you invite everyone you’ve spoke to (and everyone you can, really.) You can use social networking sites such as facebook to promote your meeting. Another really useful thing to do would be to make a poster or leaflet with details of the meeting that you can stick around the school/college on notice boards etc.
- In the organising meeting you need to make sure it’s both political and also organisational – discuss what’s going on in the world. Go to the meeting prepared, by reading the Revolution magazine and our website. This could be anything from staging a protest, a walkout, or even an occupation. Once you’ve decided what you’re doing, you need to promote it. Get someone to set up a facebook event, get someone to make a leaflet (you can use Word or Publisher, if you have it), and get someone to design a poster.
- With these resources you can promote the action you’re going to take. It’s very important to get as many students along as you can – so you need to make sure that you let as many people as you can know about it.
- Okay, you’ve made a decision on what you’re going to do, and every student in your school or college knows about it. Now you need to take action! (Try to keep things legal.). Before, on and after the action, make sure you sell the Revolution magazine and give Revolution a high profile.
- Afterwards, it might be good to hold a discussion on how things went. You can also make plans for future events.
- By now, you should have built up a network of activists in your school or college. It’s very important that you all keep in touch with each other – the easiest way to do this is by setting up an email list for everyone to use. Continue to organise future events, and soon, we’ll be able to stop the Tory cuts!
