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Salient. Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 42 No. 15. July 9 1979
President
President
Next time a student comes into my office I will say to him or her;
"Get out of my office or I will call the messenger" (or words to that effect.) So said Mr Merv Wellington to a student president the other day who turned up asking that he go outside to the steps of Parliament to explain the rationale behind the "new reformed bursary system" as announced in the Budget recently. He could have spared a few minutes, but he didn't have the guts to do so.
He is also showing considerable reluctance to answer an open invitation to speak to students at Victoria and have the courage of his convictions to explain the bursary proposal. As long as Mr Wellington refuses to show himself to students in public, people like myself are going to disturb him in his office. Students will also continue to protest at the education cuts in general especially when they are directly affected.
| 1) | 25% payment of University fees (average $50 - $60 for most students.) |
| 2) | At least 10% inflation (Institute of Economic Research estimate.) |
| 3) | Most will lose $100-$150 through the loss of entitlement to an 'A' or 'B' Bursary! (The criteria for retaining them have been considerably tightened and the university bursaries section estimate that most students will as a result lose their 'A' or 'B' Bursary — i.e. $100 - $1 50 pa.) |
Conclusion, most students including the 65% of students on bursaries of $19 a week who at first were pleased at the so called 'rise' in their bursary payment will suffer a drop in real terms!
If you are not happy about this — do something!!!
- Come to the Education Forums.
- Read about the cutbacks in education spending.
- Participate in activities organized on your behalf (see Salient, leaflets, noticeboards, etc.)
- Write to the Minister of Education and express your concern about the education cutbacks and how they're going to affect you.
Finally I would openly remind the Governmnet that it is not just "student politicos" who are concerned — many ordinary students who would prefer to work in the library are too — and they won't take the cuts in education spending and an inequitable bursary system lying down.
Remember National Education Action Day, July 26th.
Andrew Tees.
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