The countdown is on for the Student Strike for Education, set to kick off this Wednesday at 12pm on Union Lawn. The strike is being organised by Education Action Group 26 (EAG26), a student-led movement that emerged this year in the wake of last semester’s Fees Free protest. To find out what they’re fighting for – and why they’re asking students to ditch class in the process – Critic Te Ārohi sat down with organisers Petra Campbell and Annabel Hankin.
EAG26 was formed after organisers felt the demands of last semester’s protest had gone unanswered, and that broader threats to tertiary education were continuing to mount, both at the University of Otago and at a national level. “Education Action Group 26 is an organisation where we all have an equal democratic role. Anyone who agrees with our demands and is willing to be a part of our movement can join,” Annabel explained. The name itself is a nod to student activism of decades past – the Education Action Group coordinated a large fees protest outside the Registry back in 1993. “It’s quite a famous thing,” Annabel noted.
EAG26 has four core demands: fees-free education, funding above inflation, independent student unions, and a universal student allowance. The organisers emphasise that things don’t have to be the way they are. As such, they’re calling on the University of Otago to commit to no fee hikes, no cuts, and to defy Government austerity measures.
For students who are a little confused, or are trying to live in denial about their student loan balance, “Fees Free” refers to Government-funded tertiary course costs that make the Everest-sized climb of a student loan slightly less vertical. The policy has had a turbulent few years: first-year fees-free became final-year fees-free, and now it’s disappearing altogether, with the Government ending the scheme at the end of December 2026. Annabel argues the current system places an unfair burden on students. “Students work very fucking hard, and we get paid in $50,000 in student debt, which is enough to put a down payment on a house.” She also pointed to the relatively recent history of student fees in New Zealand. “We effectively had free tertiary education until 1989 [...] That was the norm for so long, and the Government sort of tried to convince us that having tens of thousands of dollars in student debt is normal.”
When asked how a protest on Union Lawn could influence decisions made in Wellington, the organisers were quick to point to the political power of students as a voting bloc. “There are 400,000 students across Aotearoa,” said Petra. “That is a massive chunk of people who are going to be voting on the Government. And we’re not going to be okay with them continually screwing us over.” They also argued that public demonstrations make it harder for politicians to ignore concerns about tertiary education – “they are going to listen to the people who are screaming the most.”
While Wednesday's protest is the immediate focus, EAG26 says this is only the beginning. Despite their name, the group intends to continue campaigning until they see results. “The more people we can get, the more we can make it bigger and bigger,” Petra said.
For anyone avoiding the strike because they have a lecture, tutorial, lab, or an especially compelling nap scheduled, Annabel had a straightforward response. “I’ve heard a lot of people say ‘but I have a class’”, she said. “It’s a strike. The whole point is that you miss your class [...] I would also really encourage lecturers and staff to support students coming to this, because we’re advocating for [staff] as well.”
Take this rare chance to not feel guilty about skipping class, and make yourself heard.
