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out at the Auckland Medical School Teacher and Student Unions in will be cancelled. Auckland have formed an Education Action Committee to protest against The Need to Expand cuts in Education expenditure. It has long been recognised that Recognising the trade union such areas of education as pre­ principle “ Unity is Strength” they school and Technical Institutes have are jointly sponsoring a mass pro­ been poorly served by successive test meeting in the Town Hall on governments. The Auckland Techni­ the evening of July 23rd. The cal Institute has been refused a Student Unions are in addition special grant of $40,000 by the organising a lunchtime march from Education Department, which the University through the city on means that some classes will run out the same day. of materials before the end of the year. Discussion is already underway Cuts have already been announced on the closing of A.T.I. Catering by the Minister of Education in School later this year. The Institute’s nine areas of educational spending: Library is totally inadequate, using 1. Savings in the administrative costs a converted hall with seating for of the Department of Education. only 100 students. The ATI roll is 2. Restrictions on the employment 18.000 this year. It has 25,000 of short-term relieving teachers. books and magazines with a library 3. Restraints on costs of in-service staff of 5 full-timers and 3 part- training and travel by advisers timers. Auckland University by and inspectors. comparison has 700,000 volumes 4. Restrictions on the discretionary and a full-time staff of 100. A work­ allowances for ancillary staffing ing party investigating funding of of primary schools. institute libraries says library grants 5. Delay in the establishment of to Waikato University(with a roll of three pilot education centres. 4000) are at least double those for 6. Increases in the charges of all the libraries at the country’s departmental publications and 14 technical institutes. items produced by the Visual In recent years waiting lists for Production Unit; and introduct­ kindergartens have increased 47%. ion of charges on some other The Government’s method of items. tackling the problem has not been 7. A reduction in the number of to increase the building programme weeks for which non-vocational but to try and increase the rolls in evening classes may be held this the existing facilities by one third. year, those who have enrolled This has already been carried out at will not receive a refund - an least two Auckland Kindergartens. outright case of theft ! The policy will mean an effective 8. Increases in the entry fee for increase in teacher - child ratios and examinations administered by reduced contact with children and the Department of Education, their parents. Thus the basic aim of including School Certificate. Kindergartens, i.e. to develop and 9. Removal of free rail passes in maintain close contact with the urban areas. child’s family is to be lost. This The Director General has taken move is a further step in the ongoing steps to alter the regulations. This devaluation of early childhood means that these cuts are not just education in N.Z. temporary to meet an emergency situation, but are permanent. Nor has there been any commitment The Need to Increase Bursaries During the projected protests that further cuts are not being planned. students at Technical Institutes and Universities will be demanding a cost-of-living bursary. Those Significance eligible for a bursary receive the The Minister has stated that these EDUCATION pittance of $13 per week, or $24 cuts represent a saving of $8 million. if you have to live outside your This is only part of the story. He parents’ home town. The Govern­ has also announced that the ment expects students to live on Education vote will be pegged to this amount as is shown by the fact last year’s expenditure. The loss of ACTION that students may not work more purchasing power through last than 6 hours per week. Such part- year’s inflation rate of 17% means time jobs are impossible for most areal cut of $102 million. To this students to find. Since these must be added Mr. Gandar’s own bursaries were announced last figures last year that the real afford to let such a policy continue. Children who are emotionally disturbed and who need special year the cost of living has skyrocket­ value of educational spending had ed, yet the government refuses to declined $60 million on the year The Disadvantaged assistance within the ordinary Apart from the effect that school programme will suffer from give a cost-of-living increase. before. Added together these Students are demanding that there figures mean that over the last two retrenchment will have on education cuts in the provision of travel for in general these cuts will particu­ visiting teachers and psychological be automatic cost-of-living increases years the Education vote has been and that the full bursary should be effectively cut by $170 million. larly affect children with special services.NAll children whose learning needs. Ironically, the National programmes depend on the provision available to all full-time students. Each child has only one opport­ Only in this way will tertiary unity to gain an effective education Party’s election policy pledged not of flexible staff use will now receive to curb the educational opportun­ a limiited and disrupted education. education cease to be the preserve and that time is now. Even if these of the wealthy few. At present cuts were restored quickly some ities of Maori and Polynesian Discretionary ancillary staffing children, and children in rural areas, desigmed to provide help for child­ only 5% of the University student children will already have been population has a parent in unskilled denied educational services, and if in any way. ren w/ith particular and special The effects of these cuts, however, needss has been more than halved. or semi-skilled occuaption yet these they are allowed to continue one categories make up 40% of the generation of school children may will be that children in rural areas This {provision so recently approved working population. A living allow­ never recover. Not since the will suffer because of the lack of is novw seriously curtailed. This cut ance is the only way to make Depression has education been support and advisory services which meanis that some teachers’ aides will tertiary education truly free and subjected to cuts as damaging as previously helped to ensure equality be tolld to work fewer hours each equal. these, and the effects will be as of opportunity with the urban child. week and some will be sacked. lasting. Children suffered for 40 Schools which have received Trainted teachers will work less effectively when their time is re­ years from the legacy of staff additional assistance to meet proved PROTEST MEETING TOWNHALL directed to paraprofessional tasks. shortages caused by the closing of needs because of their socio­ 8 P.M. JULY 23rd the teachers colleges. The Govern­ economic and multi-racial characters To thie above mentioned cuts can be ment appears to have decided to will be deprived of that assistance. addecd the halving of research grants PROTEST MARCH - ASSEMBLE maintain a level of unemployment All kinds of handicapped children to Umiversities. This will mean that UNIVERSITY 1 P.M. JULY 23rd. of teachers at the expense of whose needs are recognised by some ■ m uch needed research such as children’s education. We cannot everyone will now be at risk. that iinto child health being carried 12 July 1976/Craccum/page 1 ■ M l . — ___ ____ UMQEHSTAMO TWe 0 Q T H E R „ K S ONLy a SPORT. AFTtR ALL LtKE RUG&y/ status and opportunity. This concern is an urgent one: U Thant warned the world that ‘ugly conflicts of race and colour are among the great sources of tension This yei threatening us.’ They can ‘tear nations probably 1 apart from within’. It is hoped that through the work of this association, share of in racial tension and suffering will be reduced at their po The Association hopes to achieve its little credi aims by financial support of victims of of the Exe racial injustice, by investigation, research people wh and discussions with a view to ascertaining done. Wei the facts about racial discrimination in David Dea New Zealand and elsewhere, and by public Officer. A ONE RACETHE HUM AN RACE meetings, addresses, panel discussions, printed matter and the use of the various from Exec the pressui M any students are now faced with a Fighting Racial Prejudice. Going activities in the sporting field and will public media of education and problem; they have been involved with into such fields as the Maori Land also move into the work of economic information. By such means it aims to Film Festi the anti apartheid movement, either Question, Pacific Island Immigration, boycotts against firms like Corbans inform the New Zealand public about responsible within the confines of HART or as a How the education system affects people Wines and Rothmans. These and other racial prejudices and to help educate it some of th passive supporter, but now appear to of Polynesian descent, how the court companies are often built upon exploited towards the broad acceptance of racial spectacula have come to a dead end. The South reacts to Polynesian ‘Crime’, how Land­ black labour and are frequently owned by equality. He organis African Tour went ahead, and HART lords rip off the Island people, the South African shareholders.

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