‘Time to Grow a Spine’: Students challenge leaders

19 October 2015

New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations and Auckland University Students' Association (AUSA) Students gathered today for what they call the start of their ‘fightback’ over the increasing cost of tertiary education, as the University Auckland looks to raise its fees by hundreds of dollars.

Fees at New Zealand’s largest university have increased by 50.82% (or by over $2,400) over the last 10 years, with the average Bachelor’s student now paying $7,127.25 per year.

About 150 students rallied to oppose their growing Debt Sentences with calls for their institution to do more in opposing the Government’s underfunding of tertiary education.

National Student President Rory McCourt said to the rally that it was time the Vice-Chancellors grew a spine and publicly opposed the increasing burden today’s students were being asked to bear.

“When was the last time the VC’s actually publicly, vocally opposed this Government’s underfunding of tertiary education? When was the last time they stood up for us? The answer is: too long.”

“Steven Joyce has been able to get away with underfunding this sector and shifting costs on to students because our leaders have lost their courage. Do they still believe that education is a fundamental right for all? If they do, better start speaking up.”

The rally included stirring speeches from politicians David Cunliffe, Gareth Hughes, Vernon Tava and Marama Fox. Associate Professor of Economics from the University of Auckland Susan St John.

Fox repeatedly called on universities to ‘grow a spine’ and encouraged students to “vote, march and tell this Government what you want!”

AUSA President Paul Smith said the Government had made the choice in recent years to drop taxes and cut funding to tertiary education and student support.

“There’s a $400 million surplus, but the Government has cut tertiary sector funding by at least 5 per cent since 2010. Clearly this Government has balanced the books on the backs of students.”

He says students should feel inspired by effective action in Australia and Quebec against shock-and-awe fee rises. But, he says, the New Zealand Government is smarter and has inflicted on New Zealand students “death by a thousand, politically innocuous, cuts.”

“A small snip here, a frozen threshold there, -too many of these cuts have gone unnoticed.”

AUSA Education Vice-President Jessica Storey says students should not accept that the way New Zealand funds tertiary education, with students picking up a large tab, is normal.

“It’s not normal. If Germany, France and Scotland can have free tertiary education for all, we can too.”

“It’s not right that the people deciding these fees are whisked off to an undisclosed location to increase a burden on the next generation that they never had to bear themselves. It’s despicable.”

To conclude, Mr McCourt declared that “This rally is only the start of the student movement’s long road to a debt-free future. We’ll be back next year, and the year after, until fees like these stop rising and we build a society where the size of your parent’s wallet doesn’t decide your chances in life!”

Note: Fees calculations based on average annual tuition and compulsory services fees across Arts, Commerce, Engineering and Science at the University of Auckland 2005-2015 and 2010-2015.

ENDS

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