17 July 2008

Students are worth it, Greens say

The Government should release a timetable for the roll out of universal student allowances, Green Party Tertiary Education Spokesperson Metiria Turei says.

"Now the Government knows the financial cost of ending the ludicrous practice of students having to borrow just to live, they should provide voters with a timetable for the roll out, and stop making vague suggestions.

"Maybe toying with student livelihoods is just political game playing, but student debt is no fun at all for the generation which has grown up struggling with debt repayments, let alone trying to buy houses or start families," Mrs Turei says.

"Very few of today's political leaders had to pay their way through tertiary education, and the Green Party thinks today's students deserve the same decent treatment.

"Investing in the education of New Zealanders is one of the best things this Government could do and I challenge both Helen Clark and John Key show they really value education."

ENDS

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