Salient » James Sleep

Education Officer James Sleep

James Sleep — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 18:18:47 +0000

VUWSA: It’s your association.

VUWSA is your student association. It is controlled by students, for students.

VUWSA is an inclusive organisation that encourages all students to participate in strengthening on-campus student culture, improve the quality of education we receive, and be a strong voice in the wider community, as a community of learners.

Some talk in last week’s Salient about the lack of student culture and activism at Victoria University got me thinking.

In the last 25 years there have been several mass protests against the direction of tertiary education in New Zealand – one of the biggest protests being against the introduction of the student loan system.

In the last few years, student activism has been almost frowned upon.

Student engagement in issues affecting students seems to be at a low, but as discussed in last week’s Salient, some people believe Victoria University is no longer the vibrant, cultured university it used to be.

As a second year student, I don’t claim to fully understand what sort of university experience students enjoyed, or didn’t enjoy, before coming to Victoria in 2009.

If it is the case that student culture and activism is at an all time low, then it’s the responsibility of us as students to create a university that is a vibrant hub of culture and activity.

I agree with the editor of Salient – VUWSA must actively engage students in order to be the university of culture, the university of engagement, the university that is involved in wider society.

However, in turn, it’s important to recognise that VUWSA is an organisation that is made up of students, and controlled by students.

Therefore, I call on you to take control of your student association.

Do something this week to engage with the work being done on campus to ensure students have a strong voice, get the best quality education possible, and have fun in the process.

Come along to the Education Action Group meeting (5pm on Wednesday, ground floor Student Union Building), come to the next Student Representative Council meeting (a forum for all students), write a letter to Salient, join a club, or another club, read your student president’s column, run for the VUWSA executive next month.

We must grasp the potential we have as students influence and shape tertiary education discourse and narrative in New Zealand.

It’s imperative we as students come together as a strong collective to make a campus that is fun, lively, social and cultured.

I’m optimistic that if we do this, it will help to bury the stereotype that 21st century students, particularly Gen Y, are a bunch of apathetic, lazy, self-interested New Zealanders.

It rests with us.

James
Education.officer@vuwsa.org.nz

Education Action Group

James Sleep — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 18:00:44 +0000

This is the very first of what will be fortnightly Education Action Group columns. The Education Action Group is the student group, initiated and supported by VUWSA, to engage students around education based issues and to run forums, campaigns and protests.

This trimester, the Education Action Group will be focusing on issues concerning tertiary education investment.

The recent Budget has seen cuts to tertiary education funding, and many adjustments made to the student loan system. Once again, it is another Government Budget that has sparked the philosophical debate: Is higher education a right or a privilege?

The Education Action Group is your student group to have this debate; it’s your student group to run campaigns around these issues, hold forums and protests.

The 1990s is a perfect example of a period which saw Education Action Groups, in conjunction with student associations, mobilising thousands of students up and down the country to protest against big changes made to the tertiary education system in New Zealand, such as the introduction of the student loan scheme.

Should the Government be charging interest on student loans? Should student allowances be universal? Is it reasonable for the Government to cut tertiary education to the level that the university is putting caps on course entrance, cutting tutorials and lectures?

“Education is a human right with immense power to transform. On its foundation rest the cornerstones of freedom, democracy and sustainable human development.” (Kofi Annan, 2001)”

“The educated differ from the uneducated as much as the living from the dead.”
(Aristotle)

After considering the words of these well known figures, should we be sitting by watching thousands of New Zealanders struggle to access tertiary education?

Should we be sitting by watching thousands of students struggle to get the best out of the education they have been fortunate to access because of the decline in the quality of education, as a result of the under investment of education in New Zealand?

Ultimately, is education a privilege or a right?

You decide.

James Sleep
VUWSA Education Officer
Education.Officer@vuwsa.org.nz

EAG Meeting details:

5pm on Wednesday 28th July in meeting room three, level two, Student Union Building.

James Sleep, Education Officer

James Sleep — Sun, 02 May 2010 18:01:58 +0000

Wanna know something? It almost seems the Vice Chancellor, Pat Walsh, and his fellow members of the University Council (minus Max Hardly, Conrad Reyners, Fleur Fitzsimons and one or two others) don’t give a shit about our education and welfare. Why? They increase our fees every single year by 5%, and international students by much more (My innocent guess is 7%!). Not to mention they increased the Student Services Levy from around $100 to $500, like, what the fuck is with that?

They increase our fees and student levies and then they go and cut the number of lectures and tutorials we have per week. Ever wondered why your lecturer takes your tutorial? OK. Let me admit that it’s a little cynical for me to claim they don’t care and that it’s solely their fault for the rising fees. Why? The National Government led by John Key last year CUT tertiary education funding (instead giving $30million to elite private schools), and are set to cut tertiary education funding again in next month’s Budget, not to mention slowly undermining interest free student loans. Let me paint that picture nice and clear:John Key takes YOUR money which could be used to reduce YOUR fees and increase the standard of YOUR education and living, and instead gives it to the rich kids who you might find yourself sitting next to. The one’s that seem to think it’s a status boost to say they live in Weir House. How is that fair? Well, it’s not fair! That’s why we have the Education Action Group. The EAG brings together students from a range of backgrounds and interests to fight for quality education and living standards. The next meeting is on Thursday 13th May @ 11am in meeting room three in the Student Union Building. Come along!

As your Education Officer I work alongside the Education Vice President and Education Advocacy Organiser to ensure you’re getting the best education possible at VUW and that your life on campus is an enjoyable one.

Therefore, I am so pleased that over 1,300 submissions were received in opposition to Roger Douglas’ anti-student services Bill. Roger Douglas is once again be put into a box, along with his old ideas, and will hopefully soon be shipped off to some far fetched location, ‘cos, well, he is 72 after all.

Good work to those that have contributed to the fight to retain student services!

Feel free to flick me an email if you have any concerns, and be rest assured things going smoothly on the VUWSA front. Regardless of what other might say in this edition of Salient.