Britain's National Union of Students elects first FE president

Toni Pearce has completed her studies at further education institution Cornwall College Toni Pearce has been elected as President of the National Union of Students (NUS) at the union’s national conference in the English city of Sheffield. Ms Pearce won the election in the first round with 424 of the 732 valid votes cast.Toni, who is currently NUS Vice-President (Further Education) becomes the first NUS President who has not been to university. More than 450 of NUS’ affiliated students’ unions are in further education (FE) institutions and the majority of the students NUS represents are in FE.
In her manifesto, Toni said her priorities for her presidency would include linking college and university students’ unions together to fight for local wins in the upcoming general election, to campaign for a single central admissions system for all colleges and
universities, and to increase efforts to organise and support students to run and win campaigns in their local areas.
Speaking after her election, Toni Pearce, NUS President-elect, said: "I’m really proud to have been given the opportunity to build the student movement around a vision for public education, and to be leading NUS as we build towards the next general election.
"Between now and 2015 we need to hold a full and frank debate about what education means to society and to properly articulate the public value of education in communities up and down the country."