Students mourn the death of affordable education

Vic Students mourn the death of affordable education but still fighting fee increase

Students gathered in the Victoria University Quad today to commemorate the passing of affordable education after the Victoria University Council decided to raise the 2004 fees by 3% without any cost case to justify the increase.

Funeral director, Jeremy Greenbrook lead the ceremony where speeches were read out and then the group of students had a procession down Kelburn Parade, complete with a life size coffin and finally buried the ashes of the effigy of the Vice-Chancellor.

“Students are fighting this unnecessary fee increase and have had rolling protests and occupations despite being threatened with trespass notices, and have burned the Vice Chancellor in effigy,” said Catherine Belfield-Haines Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association (VUWSA) .

“We believe that the University has raised fees irresponsibly and that student fees are becoming a revenue gathering exercise,” said Belfield-Haines. “Victoria and other universities are in a good financial position and have raised fees just because they can. We will be asking Government to step in over the fees issue and stop this from happening again next year.”

ENDS

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