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Salient. Victoria University of Wellington Students' Newspaper. Volume 31 Number 15, July 9, 1968

Editorial — July 9, 1968 — Bursary issue

Editorial

July 9, 1968

Bursary issue

Opinions expressed in Salient are not necessarily those of VUWSA.

The student radicals in residence, from Alister Taylor up, have recently been vocal about the Students' Association alleged "sell-out" on student bursaries. In this they have, if they only knew, the sympathy of such well-known radicals on the Students' Association executive as Don Bradshaw, the man who was acting-president when proposals for action on bursaries were originally voted down by the executive. As usual, in fact, everybody has knuckled under to the small coterie of students who run the University Labour Party, after proving themselves the real power elite by forcing their 'activism' down everybody's throats at the last Annual General Meeting then have the temerity to complain about the lack of enthusiasm with which their never fully debated ideas are carried out.

If this issue had been discussed at any other time than the fag-end of an Annual General Meeting, students might have preferred devoting all their energies to the staff salaries issue, ensuring they had universities of international standing, not to a narrow and selfish campaign for minimally higher bursaries. In a year when the Government is economising on university education, it would have been supremely politically realistic, as Education Officer Caroline McGrath very sensibly realised at the beginning of this year to play down our own minor financial claims. It is high time that the student political devotees at this university realised they have no monopoly of political intelligence.

It serves no purpose at this time to press for a bursary increase which is as likely to be as unforthcoming as the last General Wage Order. What we need to do is to save the status of our universities.

We should prepare a case for the boarding allowance to be given to local students, to be presented as soon as it is politically realstic.

General bursary increases will have to be a second priority.