Auckland Students Applaud Groundbreaking Labour Policy

Auckland Students Applaud Groundbreaking Labour Policy

Auckland University Students’ Association (AUSA) has welcomed Andrew Little’s announcement on free post-school education.

The new policy, revealed by Little at his yearly state of the nation address, would see a Labour Government pay for up to three years of higher education.

“The student movement has been calling for a major party to make a commitment to free education for over 20 years” said AUSA President Will Matthews. “Labour’s announcement today is hugely encouraging for students everywhere”.

In figures released by the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA) in its Student Income and Expenditure survey, increasing student costs including course fees and the cost of living are found to have a massive impact on the future of students.

Seventy per cent of students say their debt will affect their ability to buy a house while 36 per cent say it will affect their decisions about having children.

“It is becoming more and more apparent that the current loan system is unreasonable and unsustainable, and it’s very positive to see the Labour Party recognise that,” said Matthews.

“Under this bold new policy, students going into professions that make up the backbone of our nation, such as medicine and teaching, would be able to receive the comprehensive training they need without having to worry about massive levels of debt looming over their heads.

“However, it’s important to not just think of students as young people between the ages of 18-24 who attend university. AUSA is committed to the idea of lifelong learning, and we are pleased to see that this policy extends to older New Zealanders looking to upskill or to explore further study.

“We strongly encourage all other parties to also make commitments to students and higher education a key policy issue.”

ENDS

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