Students walk out on bursary review

Press, 20 September 1985, Page 5

Students walk out on bursary review

Student representatives walked out of the first bursary review meeting in Wellington yesterday in protest against Government indications that subsidised work schemes for students would not continue. Seventy per cent of jobs found through Student Job Search involve subsidised work. The subsidy gives employers $75 a week for employing students. The Minister of Education, Mr Marshall, told student representatives on Wednesday that no assurance could be given that the partial subsidy would remain this summer. Students were shocked that on the eve of their “wage round” — the review of bursaries — the Government indicated it would take away one-third of their income, said the president of the New Zealand University Students’ Association,

Ms Jessica Wilson. A national petition is being circulated to protest against the Government’s action. Young people were hurt the most by the last Budget, said the president of the Canterbury University Students’ Association, Mr Donavan Wearing. Students paid no tax and could get no benefits from GST. They were shocked that as well as the additional expense of GST, the Government was considering taking away the summer employment of many students, he said. The president of the Christchurch Teacher Trainees’ Association, Ms Chris Menary, said that with the drastic shortage of teachers, it was astounding that the Government could instigate such measures and expect to maintain an adequate supply of people into

teachers’ colleges. Lincoln College students trying to complete their practical work would be particularly hard hit, said the president of the college’s student association, Ms Kirsty Burnett. Some farmers needed the subsidy to be able to afford students, especially this year with many farmers “hard up,” she said. Mr Marshall spoke to about 100 students who marched on Parliament yesterday. He gave some hope that the scheme might not be cut, and students were told the Cabinet would discuss it within the next two weeks. Ms Wilson said, however, that student representatives would not participate in bursary review talks until they had an assurance that the scheme would continue.