Covid-19 coronavirus: University of Auckland students incredibly disappointed that first week of academic year will be online-only
28 Feb, 2021 04:00 PM
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Auckland University student president Anamika Harirajh: We really wanted to give new students that first-year experience. Photo / Supplied
Auckland University student president Anamika Harirajh: We really wanted to give new students that first-year experience. Photo / Supplied
Auckland University students say they are incredibly disappointed that in-person classes and Orientation events for the first week of the university year have been scrapped.
All Auckland campuses of Auckland, AUT and Massey Universities, Unitec, Manukau Institute of Technology and private training providers have been closed and lectures, which were due to start for the year today
Chris McKeen/Stuff
Afiqah Ramizi, president of the New Zealand International Students Association and a medical student at Auckland University. She says universities need to recognise that international students are not immune to financial hardship caused by Covid-19.
New Zealand’s international education sector used to be a major part of the economy. The $5 billion it pumped into the country annually supported around 45,000 jobs and made it New Zealand’s fifth-largest export earner. Universities New Zealand chief executive Chris Whelan says that, pre-Covid-19, the sector expected between 21,000 and 22,000 international students in 2020. About 7000 had not made it into the country.
A top New Zealand epidemiologist warns that pre-depature testing is not enough to keep Covid-19 out of New Zealand communities.