University Fee Increases - Government Shame

"Indications that Auckland University will join Canterbury in raising tuition fees is a clear indication of Nationals failure in government" said Karen Skinner, Co-President of the New Zealand University Students' Association (NZUSA).

The University of Auckland's proposed Year 2000 budget, announced today, recommends an average fee rise of 10.9%. "It is shameful that once again we see students being forced to pay increasing fees. Student debt is already out of control, and we cannot afford anymore" said Ms Skinner.

"Proposed increases in Medical student fees will have huge flow-on effects for the health system. Recent student action to highlight the impact that growing debt will have on user-pays in the health system has obviously fallen on deaf ears within government.

"Auckland University Vice Chancellor John Hood seems to have forgotten that he is running a University not a business when he talks of being ' very competitive'. This again shows the result of government policy that has forced increasing competition in the tertiary sector.

"We need a tertiary sector that has increased funding, and a positive direction. To achieve that we also need to vote out ACT and National" concluded Ms Skinner

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