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Salient. Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 42 No. 19. August 6 1979
Wanna Buy a Button.... Please
Wanna Buy a Button.... Please
[unclear: Capaign] Report
[unclear: st], a few statistics. We've sold 1250 [unclear: ns], 850 stickers, and still have a few [unclear: of] each if you want to buy. Gross [unclear: e] during the campaign has amounted [unclear: eral] thousand dollars (including the [unclear: gs] from two concerts and two socials). [unclear: nt] estimates of our costs (not all the [unclear: re] in yet) suggest that we will have a [unclear: is] of $200-$300. That's good news, [unclear: on't] all start clamauring for your [unclear: mo- back], because there are some areas [unclear: e] the Association has accepted costs, [unclear: e] Coordinator's honorarium) and this I[unclear: y] should be paid back. Donations [unclear: ill] being gratefully received.
[unclear: The] have about 2,300 names on the [unclear: peti-] We need another 1,000 at least. So if [unclear: hink] you might like to sign a petition [unclear: g] for adequate levels of university [unclear: filing], call in a: the Studass office or the [unclear: aign] room, or watch out for signature [unclear: tors] coming your way.
[unclear: The] July 26 turnout around the country [unclear: e] Auckland 2,000, Hamilton 1,000, [unclear: Pal-on] North, 1,700, Wellington 3,000, [unclear: Ch-urch] 600, Dunedin 3,000.
[unclear: H] was it?
| 1. | We have shown ourselves that mass action by students is possible. |
| 2. | We have shown it to others, particularly the Government, which has for some time been labouring under the misapprehension that students couldn't give a damn anymore. |
| 3. | An enormous number of people have become involved in Association activities, and that can only be of benefit to all of us. |
| 4. | Links have been forged with other education groups, where previously there was little contact. |
| 5. | Our campaign, in conjunction with action being taken in other education groups, has made Education one of the big issues in the country. Listen to any commentator talking about the state of the country. Education will always be mentioned as in important concern. Talk to people about the conditions they, or their kids are facing. More and more, people are not sitting back and accepting it. They know there is opposition to the cuts, and they are joining in that opposition. |
| 6. | The Government, and the Minister most of all, is running scared. The fact that up and down the country students and teachers have been calling for his resignation (as we did at Parliament) has Merv Wellington very worried. He has gone to extroadinary lengths of asking the University Grants Committee to control students! And bit by bit, the Government is giving way. Teachers are also fighting back and they will get somewhere by doing so. |
The quinquennial grant for universities, to be announced later this year, will be bad news. But we can rest assured that it would be a lot worse if Education Fightback had not gone ahead. The simple fact remains that the student campaign led the way for everyone in the universities. Administrators and academics accepted the value of the work we were doing. And if that quinquennial is bad, we will be out in force again. The Government knows that, and can't afford to let it happen.
A Thousand Million
There weren't a thousand million people working on the campaign, but I would like to make a thousand million thanks to those who did. More people than ever before gave their time and energy to Education Fight-back. Without them, we would not have had July 26.
A few of those people I would like to specifically thank: Joanne Tuffield, for taking on just about every task and doing each one better than most; Geoff Adams, for organising most of the publicity and still being able to smile when he sees a leaflet; Caroline Massof and Heather Worth for organising most of the fundraising activities and a lot else besides; Ganesh Nana and Tere Scotney, also for taking on whatever had to be done with daily enthusiasm; and Peter Beach, for allowing the campaign to make such good use of Salient and not complaining too much when copy came in late.
What now?
Is the campaign over ? Well, no. Four things are coming up.
| 1. | The petition, as mentioned above. |
| 2. | John Elliott (Govt No 2 on Education) has indicated that he would still be prepared to debate the issue with Labour's Russell Marshall. We are trying to jack that up for the 3rd term. |
| 3. | Door to door leafletting. Beginning early next term, we will be organising door to door leafletting, with the aim or taking the issue directly to the public. |
| 4. | A skills workshop. There are many simple but very useful skills involved in campaign work, from putting out a leaflet to hiring a megaphone. A day long workshop where people can talk about an learn these skills will be held on Wednesday in the Salient office. See separate notice on these pages for the details. |
Simon Wilson,
Campaign Co-ordinator