President

This week marks the start of a build-up towards a national day of action by all students' associations on bursaries. Are you going to take action in order to secure a better, reformed Standard Tertiary Bursary?

This week on Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 March are two special deputation days when students will go down to parliament and tell individual MPs about the present state of student finances, the STB and student unemployment in the long summer vacation. The Association's representatives on the University Council will also be seeking the support of the University for the retention of the Student-Community Service Programme, or a similar scheme on a permanent basis for students who need jobs during the holidays. They will also seek support for the Association's stand for a new, reformed STB.

On Tuesday April 3 there will be a forum on the STB at 12.00 in the Union Hall, so come along and express your concern to the distinguished personalities who may choose to turn up.

On April 11 there will be a wee walk (ie a march down to parliament) to show students' concern on bursaries. The student teachers in Wellington are supporting us and have agreed to join us on the march.

More importantly you and particularly those of you who voted at SRC for this action should turn up and put your shovels where your months are. It is vital that we show the Government that students are concerned about the STB.

The reports circulating in the media show the Department of Education itself sees the need for an increase as it has recommended that the bursary be increased by $9 a week. We must show the Minister of Education that we mean business.

Remember the two main issues which affect you so far as bursaries are concerned are the abatement and increases in the [unclear: level] of bursary payments - they affect you directly so why don't you take an interest?

Last weekend there was a national executive meeting of NZUSA as well as an SGM on the Sunday. The National Executive met the Minister of Education and discussed bursaries with him as well as generally discussing action for NZUSA on bursaries. The SGM discussed and rejected a proposal to distribute the shareholding of NZUSA in Student Travel Bureau Ltd to the individual members (ie VUWSA, MUSA etc) but did vote to suspend the voting and speaking rights of Canterbury until the signed their portion of the guarantees for a $125,000 overdraft facility made available to STB by the BNZ. On Tuesday evening the VUWSA executive will meet in the Boardroom to decided whether VUWSA should increase its share of the guarantee.

Well that's all for now and I hope lectures are going Ok for you.

Andrew Tees