Overseas students’ fee slated

Press, 5 December 1979, Page 6

Overseas students’ fee slated

The Labour member of Parliament for St Albans (Mr D. F. Caygill) yesterday criticsed the Government’s decision to charge overseas 'university students a $l5OO fee. He told a meeting of university union staff at the i University of Canterbury (that having overseas students in New Zealand was a form of aid and should not be charged for. “The figure chosen has no rational basis,” he said. “It Ts too high to allow overseas [students to come here and I too low to cover university costs.” Mr Caygill said the fee breached the principle that university education was a right, not a privilege. “If it is acceptable to 'charge overseas students, why not New Zealanders?” i It was a myth that New Zealand was an egalitarian society. Many university courses had restricted entry and parents had to pay for their children’s education. This meant university education was mainly for children o.‘ existing graduates, who could afford to pay, Mr Cayigill said.