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Who run the world? Students
As part of Student Volunteer Week the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations celebrates the contributions that students make towards the voluntary sector.
Students spend a significant amount of time volunteering in their local community be it the high school soccer coach, the club president giving up their weekend to show international students New Zealand or the person who helps out at charity sales.
Older people get caught up in the mentality that young people are self-absorbed and care about little outside of themselves. To borrow a phrase from the older generation, ‘this is utter codswallop’.
Today’s tertiary students are under incredible pressure. Their student loan fails to accommodate anything resembling the minimum costs of living, they’re forced to work part time and balance a full time workload and yet they’re still giving back to the community. This community goodwill is wonderful.
However, if we continue to shortchange students they will be forced to make tough decisions about the time they give for free.
NZUSA President Linsey Higgins praises those who give their time and those who support students to make it possible. "The incredible success of the Student Volunteer Army, and the efforts of universities to build this sort of volunteering into their academic programmes have had good exposure, less so the barriers that inhibit students' abilities to volunteer as much as they would wish."
“We need to support an environment in which students can afford to volunteer. Our concern is that when students are one of the most financially vulnerable groups in New Zealand, we are minimizing their opportunities to give back.”
“Students shouldn’t have to make the decision over whether they gain valuable skills and contribute to their community, or work a low-skill low-wage job because they want to eat this week. If we can’t support these people to give back then it will make us a much poorer society.”
ENDS
NZUSA - New Zealand Union of Students' Associations
We stand for opportunity, for all.
NZUSA is the New Zealand Union of Students' Associations, the national body that represents New Zealand's students' associations and the interests of New Zealand's 400,000 students at universities, polytechnics and in trades training.
We conduct original research, advocate to Government and through the media, and support New Zealand's students' associations to be more effective on behalf of their members. We advocate alongside Te Mana Akonga – The National Māori Students' Association, and Tertiary Women New Zealand – The NZUSA Women's Caucus.
Since 1929, we've believed in a society rich in opportunity, where anyone from anywhere can become any thing. We support accessible, affordable quality public tertiary education.
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