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Edinburgh’s University newspaper
Issue xxIV
Wednesday 30 September 2009
Annabel Goldie on education in scotland Leader of the scottish conservatives tells the journal why education in scotland has "fallen behind english schools" and how the conservatives would raise standards
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Napier students forced into Grant Management flats Napier students is forced to pay thousands of pounds to 'unscrupulous' private letting agency
Matthew Moore matthew.moore@journal-online. co.uk
NEWS
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Student renters will have their deposits looked after by a third party to protect them from unscrupulous landlords. Labour launch campaign to address funding for vulnerable students. Joe Pike joe.pike@journal-online.co.uk
The difficulties at Napier student halls come as the university has dropped controversial charges for internet use which saw student paying up to £150 per person despite sharing their flats with three others. Students were effectively paying five times the market rate for internet in their flats. Local MP for the marginal Edinburgh South seat, Nigel Griffiths has “denounced” the university for ever expecting students pay for internet service. Describing the practice as “usury” he said that “internet charges were a tax on knowledge”. Speaking to The Journal, Mr Griffiths added he has always been opposed to the charges: “I argued that the internet was a crucial tool for students to achieve their Continued on Page 2
NEWS
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Silvia Foteva
Edinburgh Napier University has had to place 30 students in private flats free of charge following massive demand for university accommodation this year. At a cost estimated to be in the thousands of pounds, the students are being housed in temporary accommodation with controversial Edinburgh letting agents Grant Management, and have been given meal passes and placed on a growing waiting list for rooms. A spokesperson for the university told The Journal: “Due to an overwhelming number of late applications to stay in University-managed flats we had to provide around 30 students with temporary private accommodation.” The university spokesperson continued: “These private flats have been provided free of charge, along with meal passes, to all those students affected.” According to university staff, the decision to house students with Grant Management was made on the basis that the agency could provide the space. Thomas Graham president of Edinburgh University Students’ Association, spoke to The Journal about his experience of the letting agency: “There have been a large number of students who have
complained about Grant Management. They’ve been unscrupulous in the past, certainly students have complained about them for not dealing with problems quickly enough.” Mr Graham said: “Since they were accredited by the landlords association they’ve repeatedly failed their tenants. I wouldn’t get a flat with them - they are the letting agency we get the most complaints about.” It is Napier policy to “guarantee” accommodation to all eligible students who apply by the cut-off date. Staff at the university said that the demand was coming from students who wished to remain in university managed flats coupled with new undergraduate students. Kasia Bylinska, president of the Napier Student Association, said: “The university has handled the situation very well and no students were left without accommodation. There are plans to build more student accommodation in the future, so that will solve the problem of growing numbers of first year students.”
Tenants to have deposits secured under new government rules
A national scheme for safeguarding rent deposits is to be introduced in Scotland, the housing and communities minister Alex Neil announced last week. The scheme introduces a third party who hold the deposit throughout a tenancy and acts as an independent arbiter during disputes between tenants and landlords. The minister said it was “time to take strong action” to protect tenants, and support the many landlords who do deal with deposits fairly. It aims to reduce the number of wrongly withheld deposits, speed up deposit returns, ensure funds are available at the end of the tenancy, and when there is a dispute, ensure that the amount returned is determined in a fair way. Mr Neil said: “When deposits are unfairly withheld, it can cause hardship and misery for the tenant and, in some cases, affect their ability to secure another tenancy.”
Students enjoy Latin Dancing in Bristo square during freshers week
FEATURES
Student Loans Company chaos
Lib Dems gamble with student vote
You’ve got to kill to be kind
Staff defend nation-wide delays in payments to students and place the blame on late applications
UK’s third party questions its commitment to ending tuition fees in England
The Journal’s Ross Cullen reports on what it was like to be on the ground in the country where swine flu began.
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SPORT
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Last-minute upset Edinburgh Rugby fall to first defeat of the new season as Chris Patterson misses with last gasp penalty