Mass of Regulations

However, any bursary system requires a vast number of regulations, restrictions, and this one was no exception. So, after the politicians made their decision, the Education Department and the University Grants Committee got down to work.

The University Grants Committee had drafted the regulations for universities by October last year and they hit the campuses on November 11 (i.e. 4 months ago).

The UGC then made the fatal (but necessary) step of giving its ideas to the Department of Education. This department, long considered one of the most morbund of Government agencies, has a disgustingly long record of mucking around on the standard tertiary bursary. The delay on these regulations confirmed that reputation.

All the department had to do was to draft a final copy of the bursary regulations, which had to be approved by Cabinet before being 'gazetted'. Until the gazette notice appears, the new regulations do not legally exist.

As with many other things, this situation was complicated by the election of the National Government on 29 November. From statements made before the election, it was fairly clear the National Party didn't have the first idea what was going on in bursaries. Now it is doubtful they would recognise a first idea if they came across one.