Students Call For Maharey To Sack Victoria Council

Students Call For Maharey And Mallard To Sack Victoria Council

Victoria University students are calling on the Ministers of Education to sack the Victoria University Council after they voted to increase fees by 4.5% yesterday. Students picketed the Petone and Naenae offices of Trevor Mallard this morning and met with him briefly.

The Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association (VUWSA) president Amanda Hill said that "Mallard has sacked school boards for incompetence, and he should influence the Tertiary Education Minister Steve Maharey to take similar action against the Victoria Council".

"The Chancellor had no problem saying - in a public meeting - that Council were not accountable to anyone" said Hill. "Council made the decision to raise fees without reference to the 2005 budget, to the Education Act or to other legislation that guides them. In any other organisation, this would be considered to be incompetence and gross negligence".

Students met with Trevor Mallard in Naenae, who indicated that as high fees did not seem to be affecting the number of enrolments, he had no immediate intention to reign in University Councils.

"We see Mallard and Maharey as equally culpable in the continuing increase in tuition fees, and this will have an impact in the 2005 election as students walk away from Labour in droves" warned Hill today.

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