The Facts on Overseas Students

May I reply to that load of hogwash emanating from a source that identified itself as Non-Apathetic Student (Salient 2/7/79). Non- Apathetic Student clearly reflects the degree of apathy and ignorance he is in when he blurts about thing like how N.Z. taxpayers are financing overseas students and also how overseas students are taking up local students' places at universities. If only Non-Apathetic Student had been less apathetic he would have found out that the points which s/he made unture.

The university system does not incure any extra costs for taking overseas students neither does it do so at the expense of local students. The costs of keeping the universities will still remain the same even if there are not any overseas students around. After the 45% cutback on Malaysian students there has not been a corresponding increase in the increas of Kiwi students to fill these places. Overseas students are often fed the crumbs of the N.Z. educational system, hence the imposition of quotas and restrictions on overseas students' enrolment in law, commerce and architecture and their exclusion from medicine, dentistry and nursing.

To talk of introducing fees for overseas students only confirms your ignorance. Malaysian and Singaporean students and all other overseas students have been paying fees ever since they have been admitted to tertiary institutions in this country. Preumably Non-Apathetic Student does not know. Doesn't s/he ever read Salient? Furthermore, to compare the level of education with that of Britain is absurd. Overseas students in Britain are offered a wide range of courses, more than perhaps Non-Apathetic student can imagine. They are also not subjected to some petty quotas and restrictions as in New Zealand. In order to make education a saleable commodity I suggest Non-Apathetic student should advise his/her government to increase the quality of the product. To offer overseas students crumbs and to charge them at such an exorbitant price is nothing less than extortion.

On the point of us fighting discrimination, doesn't Non-Apathetic student know that we have been doing that since 1948? By the way, we still are. Thanks to the New Zealand troops and her Australian and British allies the Malayan people weren't too successful. We've had our little Vietnam long before the Americans had theirs. Don't forget the part the New Zealand public and your government played in sending your troops to Malaysia to suppress a popular movement back in the 50's and 60's under the ANZAM Treaty and as part of the reactionary Commonwealth Strategic Reserve Force. If only your government had been a little more concerned with the economy then, rather man indulge in little nasty war games against our people, we might have been able to get a decent education back home or in the University of Peking instead of being in this stinking rat-hole.