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Salient. Official Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 41 No. 26. October 2 1978

Limits on Creche Availability

Limits on Creche Availability

Dear Simon,

In a recent issue of Salient you reported that the Creche Supervisor in her annual report claimed that there was no student demand for a day-care centre.

The Victoria University Creche provides a very high standard of child care. However most students would not be aware that the creche provides a service Only for Students that are Doing 12 Credits or Less. What about students who do more than a 12 credit course? The University creche does not cater for them. They must either drop some credits (and take 9 years to get a degree!) or they must find alternative childcare (not an easy matter).

The principle behind University's providing childcare services is that people should not be discriminated against because they have children. Obviously student parents at Victoria do not have the same education opportunities as non-parents.

At the begining of the year, as Woman Vice President I organised a meeting on the Creche. One woman at the meeting told us how as an Architecture student she had block lectures for three hours of the day. At the beginning of the year when she approached the creche she was told there was no way her child could be catered for. How many other students are in this position? We don't know. It is likely however that there are quite a few. A survey of creche parents in 1974 found that approximately 60% of creche users were forced to find other sources of childcare to the creche to enable tham to do their university work. The Creche Supervisor is probably not aware of the demand because students realise that it is useless to ask for more than two hours childcare a day. This does not mean there is no demand!

Yours Sincerely,

Leonie Morris.