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One more week to save services

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Wed Mar 24 2010 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

One more week to save services

NZUSA - New Zealand Union of Students' Associations Wednesday, 24 March 2010, 3:50 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Union of Students Associations

One more week to save services

Students have one more week to make their voices heard and help save their services.

Submissions on Roger Douglas’ Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill close at the end of March 31st. The submissions and the Bill will then be considered by the Education and Science select committee over April and May.

“Roger Douglas’ voluntary student membership(VSM) bill threatens the services, representation, and experience students currently receive on campus. The quality of education for hundreds of thousands of tertiary students all around the country is being put at risk,” says NZUSA co-President David Do.

“When we visited campuses around the country this month, we clearly saw that students, staff, and institutions value the work their associations do everyday,” said Do.

Australia’s VSM experience shows what the Douglas bill means for tertiary education. Despite $120m extra government funding, important student association services were devastated – welfare,
representation, advocacy, clubs and societies, sports, and other aspects of student life.

Quality was further compromised because tertiary institutions were forced to divert funding from teaching and research budgets to sustain services already provided by students’ associations.

“We urge students to use their voice on this issue. Students need to let the Committee know they want to save their services from this Bill - because the students’ voice will be silenced, services to students will be lost, and the cost to students will be massive,” says NZUSA co-President Pene Delaney.

Students can go to the Save Our Services website (http://www.saveourservices.org.nz/online-submission.html) to make a submission or go to the Parliament website (click ‘Select Committees’ then ‘Education and Science’).

NZUSA is the national representative body for tertiary students and has been advocating on student issues since 1929.

ENDS

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NZUSA - New Zealand Union of Students' Associations

NZUSA - New Zealand Union of Students' Associations

We stand for opportunity, for all.

NZUSA is the New Zealand Union of Students' Associations, the national body that represents New Zealand's students' associations and the interests of New Zealand's 400,000 students at universities, polytechnics and in trades training.

We conduct original research, advocate to Government and through the media, and support New Zealand's students' associations to be more effective on behalf of their members. We advocate alongside Te Mana Akonga – The National Māori Students' Association, and Tertiary Women New Zealand – The NZUSA Women's Caucus.

Since 1929, we've believed in a society rich in opportunity, where anyone from anywhere can become any thing. We support accessible, affordable quality public tertiary education.

Contact NZUSA - New Zealand Union of Students' Associations