23 September 2004

Minister urges careful thinking about fee rises

Governing councils of tertiary education institutions need to think carefully about how much they really need to increase student fees so that any fee increases are kept as low as possible, Associate Education Minister Steve Maharey said today.

Under the fee maxima scheme, which came into effect this year, tertiary institutions are able to raise fees no more than five percent per year, except in exceptional circumstances and with the approval of the Tertiary Education Commission.

“Councils are starting to set fees for next year and I urge them to carefully assess the options for fee increases before they make final decisions,” Steve Maharey said.

“While they are able to increase fees up to five percent, I would expect that in most circumstances fee increases don’t need to be any higher than cost of living increases.

“I have been asked by students around the country to attend fee setting meetings, but it would not be appropriate for me to be there. Fee setting is the responsibility of the councils of tertiary institutions. They know the circumstances of their institution and are best placed to weigh up all the relevant considerations.”

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>