Students welcome community support for campaign

Students welcome community support for strong student services

As orientation weeks around the country wrap up this week, tertiary students can take heart that the wider community supports strong student services and maintaining their quality of education.

A broad coalition of community groups called ‘Save Our Services’ was launched yesterday afternoon to save student services from ACT MP Roger Douglas’ voluntary student membership bill. NZUSA joins Rural Women New Zealand, the Quality Public Education Coalition, the Tertiary Education Union, UniQ Victoria, the Council of Trade Unions, Te Mana Akonga and University Sport New Zealand, as members of the Save Our Services coalition.

“We are very pleased to be part of this coalition of public groups who support the current law and the work student associations do,” says NZUSA co-President David Do.

“Roger Douglas’ bill will put the quality of education for hundreds of thousands of tertiary students all around the country at risk,” says Do.

Students benefit from the representation, welfare, and experience student associations provide everyday. Student representation plays an important part in quality assurance at institutions. Student activities like clubs, sports, and societies enrich the experience a student has on campus. Tertiary institutions value the role and services that student associations provide.

The bill, if passed, will devastate important student association services to students. Students will either experience a reduction in the services and student life previously provided by student associations, or a reduction in the quality of their education because institutions will be forced to divert funding from core business (teaching and research) to maintain services currently provided by student associations.

“We need to save our services from this Bill because the students’ voice will be silenced, services to students will be lost, and the cost to students will be massive,” says NZUSA co-President Pene Delaney.

“Student needs are best served by organisations run by students, for students. We believe it is up to students to make the decisions on what membership model to have, not for Parliament to interfere in independent incorporated societies,” concludes Delaney.

NZUSA is the national representative body for tertiary students and has been advocating on student issues since 1929.

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