diff --git a/lib/form/dateselector.php b/lib/form/dateselector.php
index 2f5cbdf3112..17e3db1f79c 100644
--- a/lib/form/dateselector.php
+++ b/lib/form/dateselector.php
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ class MoodleQuickForm_date_selector extends MoodleQuickForm_group
     function toHtml()
     {
         include_once('HTML/QuickForm/Renderer/Default.php');
-        $renderer =& new HTML_QuickForm_Renderer_Default();
+        $renderer = new HTML_QuickForm_Renderer_Default();
         $renderer->setElementTemplate('{element}');
         parent::accept($renderer);
         return $this->_wrap[0] . $renderer->toHtml() . $this->_wrap[1];
diff --git a/lib/form/datetimeselector.php b/lib/form/datetimeselector.php
index faada8589de..94b7dfeb11f 100644
--- a/lib/form/datetimeselector.php
+++ b/lib/form/datetimeselector.php
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ class MoodleQuickForm_date_time_selector extends MoodleQuickForm_group{
     function toHtml()
     {
         include_once('HTML/QuickForm/Renderer/Default.php');
-        $renderer =& new HTML_QuickForm_Renderer_Default();
+        $renderer = new HTML_QuickForm_Renderer_Default();
         $renderer->setElementTemplate('{element}');
         parent::accept($renderer);
         return $this->_wrap[0] . $renderer->toHtml() . $this->_wrap[1];
diff --git a/lib/form/tags.php b/lib/form/tags.php
index 3d54fe51a0e..3aeadcd095c 100644
--- a/lib/form/tags.php
+++ b/lib/form/tags.php
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ class MoodleQuickForm_tags extends MoodleQuickForm_group {
 
     function toHtml() {
         require_once('HTML/QuickForm/Renderer/Default.php');
-        $renderer =& new HTML_QuickForm_Renderer_Default();
+        $renderer = new HTML_QuickForm_Renderer_Default();
         $renderer->setElementTemplate('{element}');
         parent::accept($renderer);
         return $renderer->toHtml();