Students may go elsewhere

Press, 6 September 1989, Page 8

Students may go elsewhere

By

MARITA VANDENBERG

Many Malaysian students now studying in NeW Zealand will leave to study elsewhere next year, say two Cashmere High School students, Gek Ching Sim and Teck Ling Hii. They say this is what will result from the decision to charge overseas students, who began their studies in 1989, full fees from next year. The student quota will also be cut next year and some courses closed to overseas students.

Seventh formers and first-year overseas students had hoped the Government would offer special transition provisions because they will be caught in the change. Both Ms Sim and Ms Hii said they had been informed only in February that overseas student fees

would rise next year, but had expected them to rise to $3OOO at the very most. Depending on the course to be studied the fees will be between $BOOO to $24,000. Ms Sim said she had intended to study law at a New Zealand university next year. Now she is considering moving to Australia. “Australia will be charging full fees next year but at least we can go into the courses we want. The law courses are now closed to overseas students here,” she said. Ms Hii said next year she would be limited to studying accountancy at Otago or Lincoln universities. She is now considering going to Canada where fees are lower.

“A degree from Lincoln is not yet recognised by the Malaysian Gov-

ernment and if I go to Canada there is the problem that my seventhform bursary from New Zealand will not be recognised.” Ms Hii said Malaysian students visited the Associate Minister for External Relations and Trade, Ms Wilde, last week to ask why Malaysian students were no longer considered to be from a developing country and therefore not eligible for scholarships. They told her that the correct number of Malaysian students studying in New Zealand was nearer 100, and not 200 as had been stated by the Government.

The students said Ms Wilde had told them she would reconsider their case.