Looking at the Education Vote in Thursday's budget raises an important question. Does the Government believe that all children, despite parental income, have the right to university education? The answer in looking at this budget is no. Its provision for students ensures that working class children will continue to face increasing difficulty in attending university. The basic grant has been increased from $23 to $27.

While this represents a slight improvement it in no way lakes into account inflation - which has been eroding the bursary since 1976. The maximum level of assistance a student can expect in 1982 will be $47 but very few students this year have been fortunate enough to receive the current maximum level of $43. To obtain any supplementary hardship assistance students have to go through a rigorous questioning process. Parents of students under 20 are means-tested to see it they can afford to support their children.