Professor’s Reply On Students’ Fees

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32352, 18 July 1970, Page 14

Professor’s Reply On Students’ Fees

A suggestion made by Professor B. P. Philpott, of Lincoln College, to the Institute of Agricultural Science that overseas students should be charged university fees reflecting the full marginal cost of higher education did not carry the implication put on it by Mr R. Khan, overseas student officer of the New Zealand Students’ Association, of any desire on his part to- restrict the provision of cheap education to overseas students from undeveloped countries, Professor Philpott said. Commenting on the statement by Mr Khan which appeared in ‘The Press” on July 16, Professor Philpott said yesterday that in the press statement reporting his own speech he specifically had said: “If persons overseas want to benefit from our high standard of education then they should pay what it costs and those who are here under aid schemes can then be given rebates, the size of which we can then use to measure our contribution to foreign aid. In my view the larger the better.”

“I fully agree with Mr Khans observations on the need for, and value of, New Zealand education for overseas students and the more of this we do. the better,” he said.

“But let us be quite sure that we in New Zealand know what it costs when we tot up the foreign aid bill—hence my suggestion for rebates. The New Zealand taxpayer and educational administrator is entitled to know the cost and the level of our contribution. “Furthermore. Mr Khan would surely not object to my assertion that students from rich developing countries and from rich families in underdeveloped countries should pay the full costs of New Zealand education. “I am sure that this ap-

■ proach to the emerging prob- ■ lem would be more efficient ■ that the proposed restrictions t or rationing of places sugges- ■ ted by the University Grants • Committee in which there is ’ no necessary assurance that ■ the most deserving overseas ■ students would find a place in a New Zealand university,” I he said. ■ He said the income received t from higher fees to private ■ students could be used to dei velop a programme of terti- • ary education for New Zealand’s Maoris On which, he I • believed, too little emphasis! - was being placed.