New classrooms are being built
SIMON WONGMany Marlborough young people studying at the University of Canterbury are proving loyal Cantabrians despite uncertainty about when their courses will begin again.
Meanwhile, Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce has relaxed enrolment caps on the country's seven other universities to help absorb displaced students, and Canterbury's vice-chancellor Rod Carr has accepted an offer from Adelaide University to take 500 undergraduates.
The university is also rushing to build 60 new classrooms inside its athletics track to try to keep students in Christchurch.
A university spokeswoman said courses would not start until at least March 14.
All halls of residence were also still open, she said.
Law student and former Marlborough Boys' College deputy head boy Liam Stoneley, 18, said he "really liked" living in Canterbury and had made a lot of friends already.
The university promised students would not be disadvantaged because of the earthquake, so "if the academic side is fine, there's not need to change", he said.
Canterbury University had been "fantastic" about emailing updates to students, he said.
Mr Stoneley was in Blenheim yesterday but was going to visit friends in Wellington in the next few days.
Former Marlborough Boys' College student Tyrone Elkington, 19, who is in his second year studying sports coaching, said he now considered Christchurch home and felt a sense of loyalty to the region.
Blenheim teenager Jonny Nicholls, 19, in his second year studying media and communication and English, also said he would stay, but if the city was struck by another large quake he would consider transferring to another university.
At the university campus yesterday, Mr Joyce said both the University of Canterbury and Christchurch Polytechnic, which was within the central city district, would start a gradual re-opening soon.
In the meantime, the Government had relaxed enrolment caps at other institutions to allow some students to resume study elsewhere.
Students would also be allowed to stay enrolled with Canterbury but start their courses through distance learning at other universities.
Loans and allowances would still be paid, Mr Joyce said.
Dr Carr said the university had not lost any buildings but it would take time to get some back in to working order.
The university was pushing ahead a plan for new buildings to go up on 800 square metres of land within eight weeks inside the University Oval, which would provide 60 new spaces for students. The buildings, to be made off-site, would be single-storied and wooden to ease fears about any further collapses.
Dr Carr announced that up to 500 under-graduates would be accommodated at the University of Adelaide for four months.
The students would be New Zealanders, mostly in first-year courses. They would be put up in halls of residence or private billets in Adelaide until they returned to Christchurch for the second semester in July.
The first students would travel to Adelaide this weekend, along with some Canterbury staff.
The Canterbury students would not have to pay anything extra. The Government confirmed there would be no impact on loans and allowances.
Mr Joyce again ruled out wholesale changes to the interest-free student loan scheme as the Government looks to fund the quake repair bill. However, he "fully expected" to "do some things" at the margins of the scheme this year.
- The Marlborough Express
And if it wasn't safe in chch, do you think it wouldn't have been evacuated already?
Good on you guys staying loyal to Canterbury - if everyone leaves the recovery will take longer and be more painful for those who have no choice but to stay. The reality is you can't dodge life - stuff happens no matter where you live and if you number is up, it is up, and if it isn't then you will be safe as we've seen and heard with so many miraculous escapes. Good on you boys making the choice to stick with Canterbury and good luck with your careers - Christchurch is a fabulous place to live and study and hopefully will recover from this ghastly disaster at the hands of Mother Nature. My son (17) is about to leave Brisbane to commence study in Christchurch and is not daunted or apprehensive about coming to Christchurch - the city will recover with the positive attitude of young men like yourselves.
DO NOT PUT LOYALTY BEFORE SAFETY --MEANING LESS .
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