N.Z.-wide student protests

Press, 21 July 1976, Page 3

N.Z.-wide student protests

University students will organise New Zealand-wide protests on Friday against the Government’s refusal to grant a cost-of-living adjustment of 6 per cent to ithe standard tertiary 'bursary. Public meetings will be jheld in the four main centres jbv most teacher and student to define the corporate effects of reductions in education spending, j In Christchurch, about 1000 students of the University of I Canterbury are expected to 'march through the inner city ,and assemble in Cathedral > Square. Bursary anomalies will be outlined to them by ■ the president of the Students’ ! Association (Mr D. Leonardo). Other speakers will be Cr D. Caygill, a former president of the association, and Mr P. Heal, spokesman on education for the Values Party, The Minister of Education (Mr Gandar) and the Opposition spokesman on education (Mr C. R. Marshall) have been invited to speak at the public meeting on Friday evening, at which representatives of the organising bodies will state their cases. The meeting will be chaired by the Mavor of Christchurch (Mr H. G. Hay). The education officer of the Canterbury University Students’ Association (Mr 1. Powell) said that most groups in the community had rereived cost-of-living increases. among them student teachers. The National Party had promised cost-of-living adjustments to the standard tertiary bursary, but Mr Gandar had now said that university students would be lucky to receive increases in 1977 but might in 1978. Other irregularities in draft regulations which would soon be gazetted were that Ph. D. students received no bursaries except university grants scholarships.

which were gained competitively. Orphans were barred from receiving unabated bursaries.l Mr Powell said. Unabated, bursaries were worth $24 a week in the first three years.■ land $27 in the fourth year.; However, if students homesi were in the university city, they lost $ll a week. Orphans had $ll abated regardless. Mr Powell said.

Technical Institute Students’ Association representatives met Mr Gandai yesterday for talks which mainly centred on bursaries and the provision of facilities at technical institutes, reports the Press Association. The president of the association (Mr G. Coyle) said that there were some serious anomalies regarding transferability of bursaries front one institute of higher education to another.

Mr Gandar had agreed that with give and take on both sides, these anomalies could be corrected in the 1977 Budget and come into effect a year later.