Union supports students' protest against up-front university fees
29 August 1997
The General Secretary of the National Tertiary Education Union today expressed the Union\'s full support for the objectives of the students currently occupying RMIT University\'s Finance Department.
While not condoning any damage to property that might occur, NTEU General Secretary, Mr Grahame McCulloch said: \"NTEU fully shares the students\' opposition to up-front fees. RMIT\'s decision to introduce the fees ignored the advice of the University\'s Academic Board and takes the University further down a user-pays path endorsed by the Federal Government. Ultimately, wealth will become the prime determinant in obtaining a university degree\".
Mr McCulloch continued: \"NTEU will continue to lobby the Government to restore funding to the higher education system, to abolish up-front fees, and to return equity to the HECS system\".
\"I urge all those who oppose up-front university fees to send messages of support to the occupying students at RMIT, and send messages expressing their concern to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Beanland\".