Waikato Students Rally Against Debt

On Wednesday May 19, around 100 students from the University of Waikato and Wintec in Hamilton joined forces and marched in protest at rising student debt – which currently stands at over seven billion dollars.

Thanks to the shocking Waikato bus service, I arrived in Hamilton's town centre Garden Place at 2pm, just as the demo was winding up.

It was still a lively and colourful demo with a group of about 40 students still gathered around a banner spread out on the ground, each adding their debt amount inside an outline of their hand. A ‘Student Debt Monster’ in his green suit handed out lollipops to passers-by while a small group with loud-hailers lead an enthusiastic chant of "1,2,3 and a bit, student debt is full of shit" from inside a cage trailer labeled "Debt Prison". I spoke to an independent photographer who mentioned that the preceding march went well and that although a number of police attended - with at least three cars involved - the students had kept an eye on the police who were well-behaved.

As the remaining crowd gradually dispersed Sandy Pushpamangalam - President of the Waikato Student Union - took a few minutes out from herding remaining Waikato students onto the provided buses back to the University’s Hillcrest campus. He told me their campaign is demanding a "living allowance for all students" since students are the only class in our society who are obliged to borrow money for basic living costs. As well as this kiwi students pay some of the highest tuition fees in the developed world, which for most means further debt that the government then lists as a state asset - counting the interest as an income and part of its budget surplus.

He also said, "Students are angry at Helen Clark for not delivering on election promises in 1995" to give students a better deal. The best crumb Helen - who now earns around $1000 a week plus perks - and her incoming government could drop under their table for students was a paltry freeze on interest during the period of study. Not only is this is cold comfort to those who studied and borrowed under National and gave their vote to Labour in ’95 hoping for a better deal but it does nothing to remedy the injustice of the loans scheme. One woman said that her debt of $3000, borrowed 12 years ago, had become $12,000 with little hope of ever being paid back.