Recent Negotiations

The Report of the Parry Committee was published in December, 1959, and closely studied by all student association executives before coming up for discussion at the 1960 Easter Council meeting of NZUSA. That meeting decided that, in accordance with the pre-page 5vious practice of the Association when making representations on bursaries, an approach should be made to the Minister of Education.

The writer and Messrs. Galvin (Past President) and Pickering (Vice-President and Chairman of the Association's Education Committee) accordingly met Mr Skoglund to acquaint him with NZUSA's views on bursaries as outlined above. The Minister gave the delegation a good hearing but stated that as the New Zealand University Grants Committee was considering all other aspects of the Parry Report he would like the Association to make its detailed submissions to that body. A further submission was, therefore, prepared and forwarded to Sir George Currie, Chairman of the Grants Committee. The day prior to the August Council meeting of NZUSA. I was informed by the Secretary of the Grants Committee that they had not accepted our recommendations on the three major issues but had endorsed those of the Parry Committee.

We had sought an opportunity to meet the Grants Committee so that its members might obtain a full appreciation of our position and views. As this request was not accepted, we are completely unable to understand why our submissions have been rejected. To this day the detailed figures in our submissions remain unchallenged and on them the Association's case rests.

After the Association's August Council meeting had considered a report from the Executive, it resolved that the six constituent Presidents, together with the writer, would form a delegation to meet the Minister of Education once more. This meeting took place in Wellington on August 30.

The Minister gave the delegation a most sympathetic hearing and appeared impressed by the strength and validity of the arguments put before him. Mr Skoglund, naturally, was not prepared to make an immediate decision and the whole matter now rests in his hands. NZUSA asked the Minister if a decision can be made in time for the new bursaries to be implemented in 1961. Mr Skoglund has replied that every effort will be made to meet our request.

This article was headed "University Bursaries—A New Deal for Students?" The answer will be in the affirmative only if the Association's full recommendations are met. The result of much painstaking research, the submissions presented by NZUSA were based on a comprehensive assessment of the minimum needs of students. The opportunity now lies to the present Minister of Education and the Government to place before the nation a positive programme for the development of the Universities and our University education system, and in this way make a valuable contribution to the economic development of New Zealand. In this context the following statement from the Report of Committee III of the Industrial Development Conference is highly significant:

"The Government should increase scholarships and bursaries in value and number to allow full-time study. Any cost would be more than offset by the greater contribution to productivity of more graduates of better quality."

Will the Government accept the challenge?