Students call on Maharey to enter fees mediation

Students call on Maharey to enter urgent fees mediation

Students are today calling on Tertiary Education Minister, Steve Maharey to enter into urgent mediation with students and tertiary institution Councils to stop fee increases.

“Maharey should enter into urgent mediation with students and tertiary institutions to halt fee increases at public institutions and reduce student debt,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, Co-President of the New Zealand University Students’ Association. “It is not too late for Government to stop fee increases for 2005.”

Victoria University yesterday put up fees by 4.5 percent despite a healthy financial position and strong opposition from staff and students.

“Maharey claims he is disappointed at the decision of the Victoria University Council to raise fees which is a bitter irony to students given that it is his own policy that has allowed fees to go up.”

“If Maharey wants to stop student fees increasing, he will place a notice in next weeks Gazette to reduce fee maxima and stop fee rises for all students,” said Fitzsimons.

“The protests at Victoria University are just the beginning if fees continue to rise and Labour can expect to see more students on the streets in the lead up to the 2005 election as long as they continue with their policies of increasing student loan debt.”

NZUSA is happy to arrange a venue for the mediation and we look forward to hearing from Steve Maharey that he will come to that table.

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