Bursary cut to boost fees

Press, 11 September 1986, Page 31

Bursary cut to boost fees

The Association of University Teachers has criticised the cut in the university fees bursary. The association’s president, Mr George Hill, said the association “deplored” the move, which will see most students paying $l2O in fees next year, compared with $52 this year. The announcement, also on Monday, of seven new staff for universities was also strongly criticised. Of the money saved, $900,000 was allocated for the seven positions. Mr

Hill said this was less than 20 per cent of the amount recommended in a Treasury report last year, needed to bring staff student ratios to an acceptable level. Universities were short of 570 staff, he said. Some departments were running on a staff to student ratio of 1 to 22, when the recommended ratio was 1 to 10. “The Government’s election policy was to reverse the deteriorating staff-student ratio,” Mr

Hill said. “Perhaps the Government intends to solve the problem of poor staff-student, ratios by discouraging students from attending university.” The president of the Lincoln College Students’ Association, Ms Kirsty Burnett, also said the fees increase would make it more difficult for some people to attend university. Some of the money saved will go towards in-

creased bursaries for Maori and Pacific Island students. Ms Burnett said these were not the only under-represented groups at universities. Women and “poor pakehas” were also under-represented. “It is the start of a bad trend,” she said. “Every year they could cut away at it. There is no Government commitment to increasing access (to universities). It is all done at the expense of other students,” she said.