Education may be affected

By Tony Jaques

New Zealand's National Development Conference in August may gravely affect the future of University education.

"This conference will cover most areas of expense in New Zealand, including education," said National Education Officer, Edna Tait.

"It seems that the Government doesn't want to step into university education, but someone must do something."

"This is a good year for universities to look at themselves, with this conference coming up and also with the University Grants Committee quinquennial grants coming up next year," she said to the N.Z.U.S.A. Executive.

"It is time we started to bring about special schools, not just for medicine and law, but also for any faculties which are going. It is ridiculous and financially unsound to have talent and finance spread over so many universities in a country the size of New Zealand."

"Mr. Muldoon's statements about student wastage seem to me to be a warning," she said.

"Whatever we are going to do should be started soon so that we can present a strong case for increasing university grants and so that we will have all the facts when we apply to be represented on any working party on education set up under this National Development Conference."