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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 39, Number 16, July 12, 1976.
National in Office
National in Office
Let's look at what the National Government has done to carry out its five-point policy on student bursaries.
| 1. | Labour had already promised to retain, at least for 1976, the level of allowances paid to student teachers. However, the National Party actually went back on its promise by attempting not to pay first year student teachers the cost of living increases they had traditionally received. Strong united pressure from students' and teachers' organisations thwarted this move. |
| 2. | 'A' and 'B' bursaries have been reinstated, the only promise that the Government has so far carried out. |
| 3. | Labour had already put technical institute and university students on the same level of bursaries. |
| 4. | NZUSA welcomes National's promise to review the Standard Tertiary Bursary. Since the election we have emphasised to Mr Gandar the urgency of getting this review underway and we have submitted comprehensive proposals to him on how this might be done. To date, however, there has been absolutely no progress. |
Before last year's election, the University Grants Committee, in consultation with NZUSA and the universities, produced a draft of the regulations governing the Standard Tertiary Bursary. All the Education Department had to do was to combine these regulations with those for technical institute and teachers' college students.
Eight months later, the Department has still failed to produce the new bursaries regulations. So it is perhaps not surprising that the Government has not yet begun its review of the Standard Tertiary Bursary!
NZUSA has also emphasised to Mr Gandar the urgency of a cost of living index being introduced for the Standard Tertiary Bursary as soon as possible. In December and again in March this year Mr Gandar agreed to NZUSA holding discussions on the Student Price Index proposal with departmental officials. But when a meeting was eventually held in late April, the officials refused to enter into serious discussions.