‘Day of action’ over bursaries

Press, 11 April 1979, Page 7

‘Day of action’ over bursaries

University and technical institute students will hold a national “day of action’’ to show their dissatisfaction with the standard tertiary bursary. In Christchurch, University of Canterbury students will gather in front of the university library at lunchtime to hear speakers. They will then cycle to the Square. Technical Institute students, who will also hold a meeting, will join them there. A street-theatre presentation will be given, and the students hope to present a document to the Education Department “congratulating them on recognising that the bursary is deficient.” It is believed that Lincoln College students will also take part in the “day of action.” The president of the New Zealand Universitv Students’ Association (Mr C. J. Gosling) said recently that by recommending an increase of S 9 a week in the bursary next year, the Education De-

partment had recognised the hardship facing students through inflation and high unemployment during vacations. Because there was no mechanism making regular adjustments to the bursary to compensate for increases in the cost of living, the bursary level had rapidly lost value since its introduction in 1976, Mr Gosling said. An increase of $9 a week would not be an increase, but would merely re-establish the bursary at ’ its real value when introduced. The size of the recommended increase indicated the extent to which levels had been allowed to fall, and the problems facing students. “If the Government fails to act on the department’s recommendation it will indicate its lack of commitment to tertiary study and equal opportunity,” Mr Gosling said. The unabated bursary for students is $3O a week, and the abated bursary is $l9.