Lean times continue for universities and students

By John Gerritsen. For the second year running, New Zealand’s government has frozen subsidies for public tertiary institutions and found new ways to restrict spending on student loans and allowances. It has also threatened to arrest students seriously in default if they enter or leave the country. Vice-chancellors looked on the bright side of the budget delivered on Thursday, hailing the increases it included for research funding. But the Tertiary Education Union, which represents staff at universities, polytechnics and wananga – Maori tertiary institutions – says cutbacks are inevitable. Read more...