The Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill IN BRIEF

This is a Private Members Bill promoted by ACT MP Roger Douglas.  It is currently before the Education and Science Select Committee of Parliament.

·If this Bill is made law it will affect you.  To see how this will affect you, then you need to consider these facts before you make up your mind.

Roger Douglas claims that he is putting this Bill forward to give students more choice, but let’s consider those claims:

·Presently students have the option to opt out of students’ associations if they wish.

·If passed, this Bill will mean that students will have to opt in for their students’ associations rather than opt out. This is a more restrictive option for students because not all students will know what associations do when they first enrol and therefore may decline to opt in.

Roger Douglas also claims that by passing the Bill there will be a reduced cost for students but there is no proof of this claim. In fact, the opposite could happen and student levies could increase as a result of universities charging more for those services that they choose to take over.

·A similar Bill was passed by the Australian Government in 2005 which had devastating effects on campus life in Australian Universities.

·Student Associations were silenced and student representation on many campuses was reduced or removed.

·Campus life and ‘University Life’ has diminished on Australian campuses and the government has spent $80 million providing services that students’ associations used to provide.

·In some cases Universities have been forced to take over services and events otherwise these would have ceased completely.

·Student Fees or levies have increased as a result with Universities being forced to charge more to cover these new services.

·Waikato University also changed over to Voluntary Student Membership which caused them to go from 11000 members down to 700 overnight. This caused the Student Association to reduce services and events due to lack of funds. It also had the Association selling off a number of assets in order to stay afloat.

·Auckland University Student’s Association is often cited as an example of voluntary membership. “It is working for Auckland so why can’t other associations do it too?” What ACT forgets to tell everyone is that Auckland has a number of assets (about $16 million) that allow them to stay afloat. Auckland also receives funding from Auckland University but they are also constrained because of this relationship.

In reality Douglas wants to reduce the choice for students because it will reduce the ability of students’ associations to participate in issues that affect students that they represent at a local and national level.

This Bill will destroy life on campus as it is now and the voice for students will be significantly reduced or removed.

Don’t be fooled!!! There is no freedom in the ‘Freedom of Association’ Bill

For more information visit: http://www.saveourservices.org.nz/ 

WRITE A SUBMISSION AND SAY NO AGAINST THE EDUCATION (FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION) AMENDMENT BILL!!!