GUEST BLOG: Bryan Bruce – 100% support for Post Graduate Students

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100% support for Post Graduate Students protesting at parliament tomorrow to get their allowances back.

It was absolutely stupid of National to deprive post graduates of their allowances and thereby robbing many students of the ability to finish these high level but long duration courses.

Kia Kaha guys!

PS In my view all universty study should be free as long as you are passing yout courses.That was the situation when I went to university and I’ve never been able to stomach the fact that neoliberal governments (stacked with former students of my generation ) pulled up the educational ladder on our own kids.

That’s it. I have to go now because I might break my own no swearing rule

 

Bryan Bruce is one of NZs most respected documentary makers and public intellectuals who has tirelessly exposed NZs neoliberal economic settings as the main cause for social issues.

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4 COMMENTS

  1. Very sad. Our education is in such a mess which has flowed through to all the skills shortages in NZ (also caused by our lowering of wages and conditions).

    Our education system has become about money not skills and the is why we now have the headlines…

    International College of Auckland fined $40,000 for immigration fraud

    https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/386817/international-college-of-auckland-fined-40-000-for-immigration-fraud

    (you’d think that 40k was pretty much a joke instead of prison time and shutting down the institution forever, but nope, all good under neoliberalism)

    It’s becoming embarrassing how bad the NZ reputation is getting with attracting so many fraudsters here including the ones running our institutions as above while others in one of our formally prestigious universities cutting down services and burning/shredding books to save money while paying $700k for the chancellors salary which is one of the highest in NZ. https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/354932/no-book-burning-but-some-may-face-shredder-auckland-uni

    Feel sorry for the post graduate students, but maybe they want to try fruit picking or being a restaurant server or builder, because that seems to be where the government is keen for our youth to aim for judging by all the help to those industries and focus, not a lot for higher level skills being a priority here. sarcasm.

  2. Particularly under National, the concept of the university, and its purpose
    may have been reshaped. The focus narrowed into narrow trade-type (for want of a better word) courses leading to specific jobs.

    The idea of acquiring a trained mind, learning to think and particularly to problem solve, may have been deliberately jettisoned – such persons can be seen as a threat to authoritarian mindsets.

    Thomas Aquinas’ description of the university’s purpose being the intellect for the intellect’s sake could have had Steven Joyce scratching his head.

    Post-graduate level courses often involve work originating from the independent brain work of the student, rather than department imposed, hence some universities now requiring all research subjects to be approved by the vice chancellor.

    This is a totally disgraceful clamping down on original thought – these are precisely the sort of persons which all societies need. We should be encouraging them, not making things harder for them.

  3. Absolutely agree, Gerard. It says very little for the current Government’s real educational ideals that they haven’t already fixed this, but are too busy telling teachers that there ‘isn’t any more money’ while while they promise Zillions to Defence over future years…

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