STUDENTS are vowing to step up the fight to bring free education back to Britain with a series of radical events ahead of a national demonstration.

Peaceful occupations, teach-ins and demonstrations have been planned at university campuses across the country.

Action began on Monday with spray painting and continues today with a press conference in central London.

The students want to repeat the success of their German peers who made their country tuition-fee free this month when Lower Saxony became the last region to scrap the charges.

NUS national executive member Aaron Kiely said: “We are constantly told by the Tories that there is no alternative to sky-high tuition fees and a lifetime of student debt.

“But just this month Germany scrapped tuition fees, proving once more that free education is possible and it is just a matter of the government’s priorities.”

More than 10,000 students are expected to take part in the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts demonstration for free education on November 19.

Activist Ms Hermans said the march and this week’s actions will provide “a focus point that people can organise around and mobilise towards.”

And she told the Star “that it is about kickstarting a pro-active long-term movement for free education.”

“This is about what education should look like rather than just reacting to government raising tuition fees.”

Seventeen universities have signed up to bus students to the demonstration, with a dozen more expected to declare their attendance in the next few weeks.

A range of direct actions are planned in the run-up to the November march at a number of the participating universities, including Birmingham University where students are today holding a teach-in.

Birmingham University student Hattie Craig said it would help students “educate each other” about the marketisation of education.

“Things which were swept under the rug can be brought into the fore and can be honestly debated,” said Ms Craig.

Ms Craig was threatened with expulsion by university management earlier this year for leading campaigning on campus.

She said it would be “ridiculous” if today’s event was shut down but added: “You never can tell.”