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| Pupils stage university tuition fee rise occupations | Pupils stage university tuition fee rise occupations |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| By Angela Harrison Education correspondent, BBC News | By Angela Harrison Education correspondent, BBC News |
| Pupils at some London schools say they will sleep in school to protest against plans to triple tuition fees in England and cut university funding. | Pupils at some London schools say they will sleep in school to protest against plans to triple tuition fees in England and cut university funding. |
| There have been demonstrations across England and Scotland in the build-up to Thursday's Commons' vote on the controversial plans. | There have been demonstrations across England and Scotland in the build-up to Thursday's Commons' vote on the controversial plans. |
| Protests are taking place at Camden School for Girls and Acland Burghley schools in the north of the capital. | Protests are taking place at Camden School for Girls and Acland Burghley schools in the north of the capital. |
| Ministers have announced new concessions to their proposals. | Ministers have announced new concessions to their proposals. |
| They say they are fair and will safeguard the future of England's universities. | They say they are fair and will safeguard the future of England's universities. |
| Tuition fees are due to rise to a maximum of £9,000 a year from the present level of £3,290 - a move which ministers say will secure the future of university funding. | Tuition fees are due to rise to a maximum of £9,000 a year from the present level of £3,290 - a move which ministers say will secure the future of university funding. |
| The changes are due to take place from 2012. | The changes are due to take place from 2012. |
| Sleep-ins | Sleep-ins |
| The National Union of Students has been staging a national day of action and on Thursday there will be a lobby of Parliament. Academics and other university staff took part. | The National Union of Students has been staging a national day of action and on Thursday there will be a lobby of Parliament. Academics and other university staff took part. |
| About 1,000 demonstrators marched through Leeds and peaceful protests took place in about a dozen other cities in England and Scotland, including Birmingham, Sheffield and Edinburgh. | About 1,000 demonstrators marched through Leeds and peaceful protests took place in about a dozen other cities in England and Scotland, including Birmingham, Sheffield and Edinburgh. |
| Occupations have been continuing at about 20 universities, including Exeter and Leeds - where protestors have been in a lecture theatre since 24 November. | Occupations have been continuing at about 20 universities, including Exeter and Leeds - where protestors have been in a lecture theatre since 24 November. |
| In London, some pupils at Camden School for Girls say they are staging an overnight occupation, before joining the demonstrations planned in London on Thursday. | In London, some pupils at Camden School for Girls say they are staging an overnight occupation, before joining the demonstrations planned in London on Thursday. |
| BBC News spoke to a 17-year-old who said he was inside the school's sixth-form hall, where he said about 100 pupils planned to spend the night. The group then sent pictures of the hall. | BBC News spoke to a 17-year-old who said he was inside the school's sixth-form hall, where he said about 100 pupils planned to spend the night. The group then sent pictures of the hall. |
| The boy, who did not give his name, said: "The occupation is going ahead. It's pretty successful. At the moment there are about 100 people here." | The boy, who did not give his name, said: "The occupation is going ahead. It's pretty successful. At the moment there are about 100 people here." |
| Pupils say they have been asked to leave several times, but were determined to stay. | Pupils say they have been asked to leave several times, but were determined to stay. |
| "We are not budging," said the student. "We want to show our solidarity with the rest of students nationwide." | "We are not budging," said the student. "We want to show our solidarity with the rest of students nationwide." |
| The pupils attended lessons as normal during the day but then joined a sit-in in the sixth-form hall during breaks. | The pupils attended lessons as normal during the day but then joined a sit-in in the sixth-form hall during breaks. |
| At Acland Burghley School in north London, pupils were sent home early because of a planned occupation. | At Acland Burghley School in north London, pupils were sent home early because of a planned occupation. |
| It looked like any end of the day scene - teenagers laughing and screaming outside the gates of Acland Burghley school. | |
| But the pupils were queuing up, under a freezing grey sky, to get back into the recently-emptied school. | |
| The head teacher, Jo Armitage, explained that about 60 of the sixth-form students were being allowed to hold a protest meeting in the school's assembly hall until 1800 GMT, when they would be asked to leave. | |
| Slowly but surely, those milling about were allowed one by one back through the gate, each having their identity checked first. | |
| Outside the gates, however, pupils spoke of how they were determined to spend the night inside the building, and how angry they were that university fees were to rise. | |
| "I'm pretty certain we will be able to negotiate with them so that they leave," Ms Armitage said. | |
| A message from the head teacher Jo Armitage on the school's website said the decision was taken on the grounds of pupil safety. | A message from the head teacher Jo Armitage on the school's website said the decision was taken on the grounds of pupil safety. |
| But later, sixth-form students were allowed back in to hold a protest meeting in the school hall which ended on Wednesday evening. | |
| Pupils arrived this afternoon with sleeping bags and told the BBC News website they were planning on staying. | Pupils arrived this afternoon with sleeping bags and told the BBC News website they were planning on staying. |
| Joseph, 17, said: "We are going to occupy the school overnight. I don't think it's right that the government is increasing fees to £9,000. | Joseph, 17, said: "We are going to occupy the school overnight. I don't think it's right that the government is increasing fees to £9,000. |
| "The government is condemning students to heavy debts for years to come." | "The government is condemning students to heavy debts for years to come." |
| Ms Armitage later told BBC News the pupils were not being allowed to stay and she expected them to leave. | Ms Armitage later told BBC News the pupils were not being allowed to stay and she expected them to leave. |
| Concessions | Concessions |
| On Wednesday morning, the government said the £21,000 salary at which graduates start repaying their fees would be uprated each year for inflation. | On Wednesday morning, the government said the £21,000 salary at which graduates start repaying their fees would be uprated each year for inflation. |
| The plan had been to increase it in line with inflation every five years. | The plan had been to increase it in line with inflation every five years. |
| And more part-time students will be able to apply for student loans. They will become eligible if they study for a quarter of the year rather than a third as planned. | And more part-time students will be able to apply for student loans. They will become eligible if they study for a quarter of the year rather than a third as planned. |
| In London, a flash "teach-in" demonstration was held by protestors at Euston Station. | In London, a flash "teach-in" demonstration was held by protestors at Euston Station. |
| Earlier, a group dressed as suffragettes demonstrated outside the constituency offices of Lib Dem minister Lynne Featherstone in north London. | Earlier, a group dressed as suffragettes demonstrated outside the constituency offices of Lib Dem minister Lynne Featherstone in north London. |
| NUS women's officer Olivia Bailey said as equalities minister, Ms Featherstone was a key target for students wanting to persuade Lib Dems to vote against the changes. | NUS women's officer Olivia Bailey said as equalities minister, Ms Featherstone was a key target for students wanting to persuade Lib Dems to vote against the changes. |
| She said women would suffer more under the proposals because they would take longer to pay off their student loans and therefore pay more interest. | She said women would suffer more under the proposals because they would take longer to pay off their student loans and therefore pay more interest. |
| "We are dressed as suffragettes because the real suffragettes fought for women's rights and for women's rights to education," she told BBC News. | "We are dressed as suffragettes because the real suffragettes fought for women's rights and for women's rights to education," she told BBC News. |
| "If this bill is passed it will be a step backwards for women's education." | "If this bill is passed it will be a step backwards for women's education." |
| Students in Scotland are staging protests too - even though the changes being voted on on Thursday will only affect England directly. | Students in Scotland are staging protests too - even though the changes being voted on on Thursday will only affect England directly. |
| They are worried a tuition fee rise in England will fuel calls for the re-introduction of graduate contributions in Scotland and mean that Scottish students studying in England will incur more debts. | They are worried a tuition fee rise in England will fuel calls for the re-introduction of graduate contributions in Scotland and mean that Scottish students studying in England will incur more debts. |
| Demonstrations took place in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, Aberdeen and Dundee. | Demonstrations took place in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, Aberdeen and Dundee. |
| Liam Burns, president of NUS Scotland, said: "Thousands of students, pupils, teachers and workers across Scotland are braving sub-zero temperature and dangerous roads to make it clear to people and politicians all over the UK that the Westminster vote to increase tuition fees is far from an English-only matter." | Liam Burns, president of NUS Scotland, said: "Thousands of students, pupils, teachers and workers across Scotland are braving sub-zero temperature and dangerous roads to make it clear to people and politicians all over the UK that the Westminster vote to increase tuition fees is far from an English-only matter." |
| The Welsh Assembly has announced that university fees will rise in Wales to up to £9,000, but that Welsh students will have to pay no more than about £3,000 wherever they study in the UK. | The Welsh Assembly has announced that university fees will rise in Wales to up to £9,000, but that Welsh students will have to pay no more than about £3,000 wherever they study in the UK. |
| Students going to Wales from England will be expected to pay full costs. | Students going to Wales from England will be expected to pay full costs. |
| A lecturers' union is warning one in three English universities is at risk from the government's plans for universities in England. | A lecturers' union is warning one in three English universities is at risk from the government's plans for universities in England. |
| The University and College Union says 49 out of 130 universities could face serious financial difficulties - and some could face mergers or closure. | The University and College Union says 49 out of 130 universities could face serious financial difficulties - and some could face mergers or closure. |