Revolutionary Socialist Students’ Federation
RSSF Manifesto
1. RSSF commits itself to the revolutionary
overthrow of capitalism and imperialism and its replacement by workers’
power, and bases itself on the recognition that the only social class in
industrial countries capable of making the revolution is the working
class.
2. RSSF opposes all forms of discrimination and will
lend its support to any group engaged in progressive struggle against
such discrimination.
3. RSSF commits itself on principle to all
anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist and anti-fascist struggles and
resolutely opposes all forms of capitalist domination and class
collaboration.
4. RSSF will lend its support to any group of
workers or tenants in struggles against the wage freeze and price and
rent increases.
5. RSSF's aims cannot be achieved through
parliamentary means and it therefore constitutes itself as an
extra-parliamentary opposition.
6. RSSF extends to all left students and
organisations the invitation to co-operate with it in supporting and
organising for its aims, and extends fraternal greetings to
organisations abroad already doing so.
7. RSSF recognises that the trend of modern
capitalism to the increasing integration of manual and mental labour, of
intellectual and productive work, makes the intellectual element
increasingly crucial to the development of the economy and society, and
that this productive force comes into sharpening conflict with the
institutional nature of capitalism. The growing revolutionary movement
of students in all advanced capitalist countries is a product of this.
To organise this vital sector as a revolutionary ally of the proletariat
and as an integral part of the building of a new revolutionary movement,
RSSF resolutely opposes ruling-class control of education and determines
to struggle for an education system involving comprehensive higher
education, and the abolition of the binary system, public schools and
grammar schools. The transformation of this sector requires the
generation of a revolutionary socialist culture.
8. RSSF believes that existing political parties and
trade unions cannot either structurally or politically sustain
revolutionary socialist programmes. It affirms that it is neither
meaningful nor valuable to attempt to capture these organisations. While
retaining support for their defensive struggles, it believes that new,
participatory mass-based organisations are required to overthrow
capitalism.
9. RSSF believes that students will play a part in
the building of such organisations and in the linking of struggles of
existing militant groups. It sees its particular role as developing
socialist consciousness among youth.
10. RSSF believes that the institutions of higher
education are a comparatively weak link in British capitalism, and that
the ruling class’s field of action can be severely restricted by
correctly waged struggles for student control and for universities of
revolutionary criticism.
11. RSSF will build red bases in our colleges and
universities by fighting for the following Action Programme:
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All power to the general assembly of students,
staff and workers - one man one vote on the campus.
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Abolition of all exams and grading.
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Full democracy in access to higher education.
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All power to the general assembly of students,
staff and workers - one man one vote on the campus.
-
Abolition of all exams and grading.
-
Full democracy in access to higher education.
-
An end to bourgeois ideology - masquerading as
education - in courses and lectures.
-
Abolition of all inequality between institutions
of higher education - against hierarchy and privilege.
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Abolition of all inequality between institutions
of higher education - against hierarchy and privilege.
-
Break the authority of student union bureaucracies
and institute mass democracy.
Adopted by the Second RSSF Conference - London, 10
November 1968.
From: New Left Review I/53, January-February 1969 |