National attacks proposed student voice centre as ‘taxpayer-funded training for Labour activists’
The Opposition claims that a proposal for a national body for student democracy would become a taxpayer-funded training ground for future Labour MPs.
But Education Minister Chris Hipkins says the party is being “paranoid” about something which hasn’t even been selected as a final option.
The proposal for a National Centre for Student Voice was one of several options to enhance student democracy in tertiary institutions, released by the Ministry of Education earlier this year.
The body would support student associations with advice and funding to be more consistent and professional across the sector, ending a supposed quality difference between universities and polytechs.
It would follow a similar model used in the UK and Australia and came after Hipkins confirmed he would not be overturning the last Government’s 2011 decision to end compulsory student membership of student associations.
Oh for Christ’s sake Chippy – stop being a dick on Student Unions! Bring back Universal Student Unions, they were never compulsory, you could always apply to have your student Union fees handed over to a charity of you philosophically disagreed with being a member, and if there were truely independent Student Unions in NZ right now, the disgusting manner in which Universities simply use students as cash cows that sees them die in their rooms alone wouldn’t bloody well happen!
When a barely formed inbred Neanderthal like Simeon Brown is the only challenge you face, it makes the meaningless nothings by Hipkins even more unexplainable!
If Simeon Brown is the answer, the question is ‘who the fuck is that’? He has the intellectual capacity of an empty plastic bag with half the personality.
Do something meaningful Chippy, bring back University Student Unions so that there is an infrastructure for young people to engage with Civic life once they get to tertiary education.
At a time when we are begging young people have more voice in decisions, we do all we can to rob them of the infrastructure to do that.
Step up Chippy.
Removing student unions was an Act policy. So somewhere to the right of Ghenghis Khan. Why doesn’t this government grow a pair for once. Simply state that they are reinstating student unions and if National don’t like it, too bad, they are not in charge, even though it seems like they are.
Then, lets make a list and start working through the other BS changes they made during their nine years. Change those back too. At least make it harder for them to simply continue from where they left off if you lose next year.
This timidity and lack of action is beyond farcical.
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