Students press for rise

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33777, 25 February 1975, Page 16

Students press for rise

Unanimous support for an interim increase in university and technical institute student bursaries was expressed yesterday by the national executive of the Student Teachers’ Association.

The president of the Student Teachers’ Association (Mr D. Stedman) said that his association was anxious to ensure that tertiary education did not become the privilege of an elite.

“In the present economic climate it is even more im-

partant to ensure that no-one is prevented from attending university or technical institutes by lack of finance.” ‘‘Students at present find it almost impossible to manage on their bursaries. What they are being asked to do is not to lower their Standard of living, but to increase their state of poverty.” When kindergarten teacher trainees went on strike last year they considered the $21.50 a week they were being paid then was insufficient to live on, Mr Stedman said. "The country’s 50,000 university and technical institute students are being expected to exist on a lot less than $21.50 a week. .In many cases technical institute students get only $BO a year in bursary help.” The New Zealand University Students’ Association and the New Zealand Technical Institute Students’ Association had made carefully prepared submissions to the Government, Mr Stedman said. “If the Government continues to ignore their very real need, it will have only itself to blame for the political consequences. Students have a just demand, and immediate relief must be provided.” Co-op appointment — Mr Bernard Pinney, of Mossburn, has been appointed to the board of the Primary Producers’ Co-operative Society Ltd, the South Island meat-exporting group. Mr Pinney replaces Mr W. S. Johnston as Southland director. Mr Johnston recently retired from the board for health reasons. — (P.A.).