RMIT Student Union Representative Zaine Bulot talks to ‘The Socialist’ (monthly newspaper of the Socialist Party)
Zaine is a member of the Socialist Party and holds the elected position of Campus Co-ordinator on the RMIT City Campus in Melbourne.

“There are around 650,000 higher education students in Australia and most are having a pretty rough time. Not only do they have the pressures of deadlines, exams and having to deal with the bureaucratic university administration but they are often forced to work long hours in low paid and casual jobs.

“The hours students work are often completely in the hands of their boss. When business is slow students find themselves at Centrelink trying to get some much needed support. Many students don’t meet the requirements of support because they are not considered “independent”, or because their parents are working. The outcome of this is that many students find themselves in poverty. For a student who is 18-25 and living away from home, if they are eligible for Centrelink payments, the highest rate they will receive is still $42 below the poverty line.

“Some, like international students for example are doing it real tough. International students not only have to go through what the rest of us do but they also endure racism, unfair marking and no right to basic concessions including cheap transport.

“One thing all students go through in higher education is the huge expense incurred to enrol in their course. Enrolment through Commonwealth supported places requires students to ‘contribute’ to their own education, and the contribution for a whole undergraduate course of study can be tens of thousands of dollars. The debt which is waiting for you at the end of the course is often a barrier to using their degree. Currently there is $13 billion dollars in accumulated student debts. This means that many students will be in debt for the rest of their life.

“Most students, with the exception of the ones with wealthy parents, have to work to maintain their studies - as well as to survive. This creates a dual purpose for students, having to do enough work to survive, but also leaving enough time to study, attend classes, and to prepare for examinations and assessments.

“Many of the structures which in the past have supported students have been either weakened or destroyed under Howard’s policy of Voluntary Student Unionism (VSU). Some services, such as independent advocacy for students, second hand bookstores, health services and cheap food no longer exist. This has only added to the pressures of life on campus.

“The life of a student is not as easy as it was 30, 20 or even 10 years ago. The Howard government has worked hard to attack students and his neo-liberal policies have affected students particularly harshly. Students need to organise politically to fight for an increase in pay, for adequate government support, for free education, and for the right to be represented on campus.”