Student leaders views after 'Love Canterbury, Hate Debt' debate

Later edit

Aaron Porter, National Union of Students (NUS) vice president and Steven Godwin vice president of Christ Church Students'Union (CCSU) expressed their views at the meeting with prospectus candidates (conservative Julian Brazier, labour Jean Samuel and lib dem Guy Voizey) for Canterbury at this year's general elections.
Mr Porter thinks that in today's hostile environment for higher education, students are choosing the university they go to not based on their abilities and aspirations, but how much debt they are prepared to get into.





After carefully listening to all candidates, Mr Godwin risks and propose students to vote for liberal democrats, whose candidate Guy Voizey is the one that apparently stands the most for them.

The MP for Canterbury Julian Brazier regarding the rise of tuition fees: "Decisions are going to be painful"

Focus Canterbury interviewed Conservative MP  Julian Brazier minutes after Love Canterbury, Hate Debt debate that took place Saturday, 27 February at Augustine's House. We asked him what he thinks about the expected rise in tuition fees and what will he do if he were re-elected.

“Canterbury United” against higher tuitions fees

Student Unions of Canterbury join a unitary campaign to warn about consequences of an eventual rise in tuition fees

The proposed rise in higher education fees is becoming more significant for students from all over the country, particularly in big university centres such as Canterbury. After the MPs have heard students’ voice at a protest which took place at the Houses of Parliament in November last year, not much progress has been made.

Therefore, the big student population in Canterbury has decided to unify under a single campaign that aims to defend their rights and promote the views on matters which generally affect them. The Students’ Union of Christ Church University, University of Kent, Canterbury College and University for the Creative Arts have bonded for the “battle” against higher fees under the banner of “Canterbury United”.

The diary of a Gurkha veteran

Joanna Lumley with Gurkha veterans






Focus Canterbury spoke to a former Gurkha soldier who fought in numerous wars together with British soldiers and who is now living in Canterbury

They are the British Army’s most faithful overseas soldiers

Gurkhas have a prodigious 200-year history of fighting for British causes. In 1997, when Hong Kong was returned to China, the Brigade of Gurkhas was moved to Netheravon, Wiltshire. But downwards, in Kent, we can find a large community of Nepalese, most of them being former Gurkhas. Choosing Kent as their new home was not a hazardous decision. The Royal Gurkha Rifles is based in the costal town of Folkestone. Therefore, the active soldiers brought their families with them.

University register office misspells student's name 3 times in a row

Negative record for the Register office at Christ Church University in Canterbury

Staff keep misspelling the name of a first year Romanian student

Ovidiu Mainea complains that he has got his name spelled wrong on the student ID as well as in all the other official papers that link him with the university. They did it not once or twice, but 3 times. This would have been a pretty funny story to tell for grandchildren if it would not have implying negative consequences for Ovidiu. At the moment he cannot apply for a work permit because the status letter issued by the university contains his name spelled differently than it really is. And holding a work permit is compulsory for Ovidiu because he urgently needs a job. Otherwise, his Film, Radio and TV course he is studying could end prematurely.
The first time when Ovidiu Mainea noticed that his name is not spelled right, he resigned himself saying that the error is human and it could happen to anybody. But it had happened again and he went down to the new Augusine's House Library, at the I-Zone, the department which deals with all kind of complaints coming from students and staff. They assured him that it will not happen again and that he finally will have a student ID with his real name on it. But it did not happen. Even the I-Zone advisors have got his name wrong, exactly like in a childhood game where the players whisper the word that must get 'safe and sane' down to the last one. Ovidiu is currently waiting for the 4 student ID in hope that this time it will be alright and afterwards he finally can apply for the work permit and eventually getting his so needed first job in England.