Student warning on political intrusion

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33480, 11 March 1974, Page 12

Student warning on political intrusion

Political interference with overseas students in New Zealand would not be tolerated by student organisations, the president of the University of Canterbury Students’ Association, (Mr J. J. Benefield) said in Christchurch or. Saturday.

Addressing a seminar for new overseas students at the University of Canterbury and Lincoln College, Mr Benefield said that he was aware that politics were a sensitive subject — one overseas students were wary of discussing, even in New Zealand. Overseas students in the country must be regarded as New Zealand students, and must not be subject to interference either from their government, or from the New Zealand Government.

“Yet politics insinuate even into government overseas aid. Overseas students are generally reluctant to express themselves openly; they consider themselves guests in this country, and the New Zealand Government does not hesitate to play on this polite attitude. In this respect, the present Government is no different from its predecessor,” Mr Benefield said. It was important for overseas students to provide the leaven of a different culture in the local society, particularly in university society. Mr Benefield said that the University of Canterbury had for the last five years had the largest number of overseas students of any of the country’s seven universities.

During this period, the number of overseas students had increased 120 per cent, and now constituted 12 per cent of the student roll. The students during the five years came from 43 countries.