Voluntary student membership a step closer

Student association representatives are "appalled" that voluntary student membership has come a step closer due to a select committee recommendation yesterday.

Parliament's Education and Science select committee reported back to Parliament yesterday, recommending the Act New Zealand-sponsored Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill proceed with only minor alterations.

Chaired by National MP Allan Peachey, the select committee considered 4837 submissions, of which all but 89 were opposed to any change to the status quo.

"They have not listened to the voice of students. Overwhelmingly, students did not want it," Otago Polytechnic Students Association (OPSA) Meegan Cloughley said.

Otago University Students Association (OUSA) Harriet Geoghegan said for the opposition to changes "to be ignored is quite astounding".

It was also disappointing that compromise suggestions they had made were not adopted, she said.

The Bill now goes through for its second reading on the next member's day and if it is adopted, voluntary membership will be introduced on January 1, 2012.

New Zealand Union of Students' Associations co-president David Do said evidence in Australia and New Zealand showed the Bill would destroy student representation and welfare provision, and put student-owned services such as Student Job Search at risk.

Student life, events such as Orientation, clubs, and sports would be at risk, and institutions and Government would face extra new costs, he said.

The committee heard overwhelming evidence that students were served well by student associations under the current law, Mr Do said.

"The recommendation ignores the 98% of submissions against it and is putting students' services, representation, and the quality of their education at major risk."

Ms Cloughley was not surprised by the recommendation as she "knew Act would not listen to us and National would go back on its promise [for the status quo to remain]".

There were concerns about how much influence councils of the tertiary institutions would have over student associations under the Bill, especially for institutions that were not that student friendly, she said.

Between them, the two student associations in Dunedin have almost 30,000 members and this year collected more than $3.7 million in membership fees.

OUSA is one of the oldest and most financially secure in the country, employing 45 permanent staff, plus hundreds of casuals during Orientation.

Ms Geoghegan said it could have a devastating impact on all its services and OUSA would revise its strategies and see what it could do.

OPSA is a much smaller organisation, with two permanent staff and six part-timers.

It is already contracted by Otago Polytechnic to run some student services.

"Will OPSA be around in 2013? I honestly can't answer that," Ms Cloughley said.

Pro-voluntary membership group Student Choice's Lauren Brazier said it applauded the Government's support for freedom of association for tertiary students and says the decision paves the way for genuine student representation in tertiary institutions.

"Students have a lot to gain from the introduction of voluntary membership."