Flash protest in Wellington as tertiary education Commission announce $52 million in cuts

Photo / Hennessey Williams

At 8am this morning, Massey University students and student reps gathered on The Terrace to protest the latest spending cuts announced by The Tertiary Education Commission (TEC). 

Student protesters were holding signs saying “cuts so bad even the introverts are here” and “stop suffocating tertiary education”.

Last night, TEC announced there would be $52 million cut from the next budget to the major four universities - Massey University (Massey), University of Otago (Otago), Auckland University of Technology (AUT), Victoria University of Wellington (VUW) and Te Pūkenga (TEU), going forward.

The Tertiary Education Commission defended its action, saying it was predicting enrolments for next year to be “significantly lower”. Some had criticised the cuts as sweeping, too harsh and preemptive.

General President of Te Tira Ahu Pae, Andrew Steele attended the strike, “We stand in alliance with the other university student unions against these cuts … we will not stand by.”

TEU members in all of New Zealand’s universities and polytechnics and two wānanga had planned to meet next month to discuss funding solutions going forward for the sector.