Students uniting to realise the vision of a progressive Wales

As 2017 comes to an end, we have a great opportunity to reflect on what has been a very busy year for all of us at NUS Wales.

Here are my three favourite highlights of the year.

First of all, I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve been doing in trying to create a welcoming Wales. The referendum on our membership of the EU was followed by a rise in hate crimes and hate speech, and rightwing populists have come to power in many countries, so for us, it is absolutely vital that everyone feels welcome in Wales.

In February, we had the unfortunate chance to put that into practice when the Home Office wanted to deport Shiromini Satkunarajah, a star student at Bangor University.

Working with others, such as Shiromini’s students’ union and her local MP, we withstood the UK Government’s deportation system and ensured Wales remained an open and inclusive country that values people, their skills, experiences and cultures, whoever they are and wherever they come from.

We continued to highlight the need for an open, inclusive, and welcoming Wales during the 2017 snap general election. Instead of a manifesto, we published Our Vision: 2022 – an idea, shaped by students, of what sort of country Wales should be by 2022.

Our Vision called on all political parties to ensure that students and academics from across the EU who study in Wales are protected during the Brexit negotiations.

It was great to see such a high turnout among young people in the election; proof that they want to see a welcoming Wales in a strong and progressive Europe.

We must also remember the value of education and what it can accomplish. We must continue to speak up for a tolerant and welcoming society, where everyone can benefit from an inclusive education, whatever their background.

This year also saw significant progress on the Diamond agenda. We were a part of the review that resulted in progressive changes from the Welsh Government on higher education.

I’m thrilled that the Welsh Government will maintain the tuition fee cap at £9,000 and not press ahead with linking tuition fees to inflation. Increasing the repayment threshold to £25,000 will also go a significant way to lifting the barriers that students face in terms of loans.

This work, and our campaign to #ProtectEducation, has raised awareness of the importance to invest in education in Wales and we’re pleased that our continued constructive relationship with the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Kirsty Williams AM, has led to beneficial changes for students in Wales.

For me, this is a demonstration of just how important it is that we, as a collective student movement, continue to put students first and ensure that their voices are heard and listened to in the corridors of power.

That is precisely what we’ve been doing as the Welsh Government drives forward reforms to the post-16 education. They intend to bring further and higher education, apprenticeships and adult community learning together.

As this work moves forward next year, we will be arguing very clearly that students must be at the heart of the new system, and making the case for a post-16 system that meets learners’ needs and the future needs of Wales and its diverse communities.

Finally, the recommendations of the Sex and Relationships Education Expert Panel were released. This report sets out the findings of the expert panel, convened by Kirsty Williams, to examine the current provision of sex and relationships education (SRE) and how schools can be better supported to deliver it consistently and to a high standard.

It was a privilege to be a member of such an important panel. Education in Wales is undergoing a lot of change and this is a golden opportunity to make our education system an inclusive one.

I’d like to thank everyone who has contributed to, and supported the work of NUS Wales and the rest of the student movement in Wales during the past year. We’ve proven that students want to see, and are able to create, an open, inclusive and fair Wales and we look forward to continuing this great work in 2018. Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda i chi gyd!

Ellen Jones is NUS Wales President.