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Salient: Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 28, No. 1. 1965.

Bondage

Bondage

Sirs,—The New Zealand Universities Students' Association has recently produced a somewhat inaccurate pamphlet on the danger of bonded bursaries, which include Post Primary Teacher Student-ships.

The pamphlet begins by warning sixth formers against accepting studentships for the valid reasons that there are subjects, totally unusable for teachers, which they might want to take at University, and which they might not be allowed to take whilst on the studentship. But it makes no mention of those students whose aim Is teaching, not a career in Maths —or Anthropology.

For the person who wishes to withdraw from the studentship the pamphlet quotes some figures—"If after four years on a studentship you decide to withdraw, you will be faced with the prospect of refunding £800-£900 within two years." You will be faced with the prospect of refunding what you have received from the studentship, less what you would have received from a Fees and Allowances bursary (if you are eligible), up to a maximum of £750.

Theoretically the sum to be refunded might amount to more than £750 (if you had been on the studentship for four years) but the Department of Education would not ask for more than this as they have little hope of regaining any more. Although the Department states that repayment can be made over a period of two years, you would have little trouble getting this extended if necessary.

This is quickly followed by "Further more, the guarantor ... is bonded for £700 (this should be £750) if the agreement is broken." The guarantor, however, is liable only if the student refuses to or cannot pay—not in addition to the students payment, as is implied by the leaflet.

Also, if you cannot refund fully in cash, and do not wish to fall back on your guarantor, you can teach for part of your bond and refund the rest in cash—or, if you are an unscrupulous female wishing only to get out of the agreement signed by you, marry Neither of these two possibilities for annulling the bond are pointed out by the pamphlet.

Although very biased, the pamphlet does point out the dangers in accepting a student-ship if you are not perfectly sure of your career.