Student plan ‘premature’
By SARONA IOSEFA The Government’s decision to let schools and tertiary institutions provide places for full-paying overseas students is premature, says the president of the Canterbury University Students’ Association, Mr Sam Fisher. “We are not convinced that universities are ready for selling overseas. There’s a temptation that once universities start getting money that they will try and get as many overseas students in as possible to get the extra funds,” he said. “What safeguards are there to ensure that universities don’t start pouring money into areas most popular with overseas students and forget about other courses?” Universities had not done enough feasibility studies to ensure checks and balances were in place to stop such discrepancies from happening, Mr Fisher said. While the Government’s promises in the new policy sounded good, the practical side had not been fully considered.
Where these overseas students were going to stay, who would help settle them into the New
Zealand culture, and who would provide social welfar for them had not been clarified, he said.
“Theory is fine, but whether the existing system has been geared to handle the sudden influx of overseas students is something else. “The real disaster, if not checked early, will be in the resource allocation. Where is the money going exactly, and who misses out?” Mr Fisher said.
Ideally the C.S.U. would like to see the money go directly to the University Grants committee before being handed out to individual faculties. "It’s no secret that universities are desperate for funds, but the sudden injection of funds from overseas students could tempt them to make more places available for those who can pay for it, and home and aid students would suffer,” said Mr Fisher.
Universities needed to do more groundwork to ensure New Zealand and aid students would not suffer a fallen standard in education while money was poured into courses patronised by overseas paying students, Mr Fisher said.
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Press, 28 December 1988, Page 7
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322Student plan ‘premature’ Press, 28 December 1988, Page 7
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