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Education Undermined in Short-Sighted Budget

nzusa-new-zealand-union-of-students-associations

Thu May 19 2011 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Education Undermined in Short-Sighted Budget

NZUSA - New Zealand Union of Students' Associations Thursday, 19 May 2011, 5:36 pm
Press Release: NZUSA

Education Undermined in Short-Sighted Budget

Thousands more potential students were shut out of tertiary education in an enormously short-sighted budget today.

“The government has failed to take the opportunity to tackle the real issues facing students, tertiary education, and New Zealand. It had a real opportunity to show its commitment to properly invest in education, ensure fair access, and tackle student debt – it has comprehensively failed on almost all counts,” says NZUSA co-President David Do.

• Today’s Budget proposals include: Removing student loans for living and course costs for people aged over 55. Removing the course-related costs component of student loans for part-time full-year students. Freezing the student loan repayment threshold at $19,084 until 1 April 2015. Overall funding in tertiary education expenses is projected to fall over the next few years from $4.6 billion in 2010 to a forecast $4.1 billion in 2015.

“Thousands more potential students were shut out of tertiary education in an enormously short-sighted budget today, and the students deliberately targeted today will be heavily disadvantaged,” says NZUSA co-President Max Hardy.

“The government is proceeding with age discrimination and making it harder for those over 55 to up skill and retrain. At 55 many students have up to 20 years of work left – that is a hugely valuable contribution to New Zealand that the Government wants to say goodbye to. We need to be allowing New Zealanders to up skill and secure jobs, not slamming the doors in their faces,” says Hardy.

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“We are very angry at the removal of course costs for part time students. There are almost 98,000 part-time full-year students who will be hit. This change will it more difficult for students to cover course-related costs such as textbooks, uniforms, supplies and materials. For many it will make study just too expensive.” says Hardy.

“Freezing the income loan repayment threshold at threshold at $19,084 until 1 April 2015 makes the harshest student loan repayment regime in the OECD harsher. Australian graduates enjoy a repayment threshold of $44,912, meaning they start paying back their loan when they can afford to live,” says Hardy.

“This Budget is another example of the Government’s approach of short-sighted and self-defeating cuts. Over the past few years we have seen courses cut, scholarships slashed, departments downsized, and staff sacked at universities and polytechnics, while student numbers and student hardship go through the roof. Students see very little in this Budget that will reverse the increasing pressure on the tertiary sector. When it comes to the future of this country this isn’t good enough,” concludes Do.

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