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AUS Tertiary Update Vol. 3 No. 14, 2 June 2000
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UNIVERSITY STAFF URGE SANCTIONS AGAINST FIJI SITUATION
Association of University Staff (AUS) members have been asked not to take up appointments at the University of the South
Pacific, not to attend academic conferences in Fiji, and not to undertake consultancy work unless it's part of a
humanitarian aid project.
"AUS supports the call for an immediate release of the hostages, reinstatement of constitutional democracy and the
return of all recognised human rights and freedom in Fiji," said AUS National President, Neville Blampied.
Also in Tertiary Update this week:
1. Reinvestment in Tertiary Education Signalled
2. 'Labour, Labour, Don't Rob Your Student Neighbour!'
3. Women Main Award Winners at Victoria
4. Highest Student Debtor Tops $130,000
5. Government Moves to Establish Education Council
6. AUS National Office New Telephone Numbers
7. Values in Education National Conference
REINVESTMENT IN TERTIARY EDUCATION SIGNALLED
Associate Minister of Tertiary Education, Steve Maharey, said yesterday that reinvestment in the tertiary education
sector was an important issue for Government.
He indicated that if students were to continue to receive a quality education, it would be necessary to ensure that
staff were sufficiently well paid to keep them in New Zealand.
While AUS is not hopeful that these matters will be redressed in the Budget on 15 June, we believe that the Tertiary
Education Advisory Commission's work will provide strong support for the need to revitalise the university system.
'LABOUR, LABOUR! DON'T ROB YOUR STUDENT NEIGHBOUR!'
A message of solidarity to Massey staff facing redundancy finished off a day of protest by Waikato students in Hamilton
this week.
'Massey says cutback- we say fightback!' was among the slogans shouted on the 'Education Freedom Bus' tour which visited
Labour MP Dianne Yates' office, Labour MP Martin Gallagher's office at the Ministry of Education and the central WINZ
office.
"Dianne Yates and Labour- Don't rob your student neighbour" was the call from the fifty-strong picket, protesting that
the Labour MPs saying that free education is unrealistic, benefited themselves from it when they were young.
WOMEN MAIN AWARD WINNERS AT VICTORIA
Women students have won the majority of academic awards being presented at Victoria University's student award
ceremonies on June 7 and 8. Of the 416 awards, 255 - sixty-one percent - have been won by women.
Victoria University Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Roger Robinson linked the women's success to their rising
participation rates in tertiary education.
The latest (1998) figures for all New Zealand show 58,889 women at university compared to 49,048 men.
Professor Robinson noted that women were also now a majority in areas such as law, traditionally a male preserve, and
that many of the best students were mature women, who now make up greater numbers than previously.
(See also World Watch below)
HIGHEST STUDENT DEBTOR TOPS $130,000
Figures just released to APSU and NZUSA under the Official Information Act show that the highest student loan account
currently held by the IRD is between $130,000 and $140,000.
The figures also show that the percentage of students and graduates in higher debt brackets is increasing.
"The core causes of debt - fees and the lack of a universal living allowance - must be addressed in the upcoming
Budget," said Sam Huggard, co-president of the New Zealand University Students' Association.
Students in Hamilton, Wellington and Dunedin were protesting this week about these two issues.
GOVERNMENT MOVES TO ESTABLISH EDUCATION COUNCIL
A new Education Council to be operating by the middle of next year was announced by Education Minister Trevor Mallard
this week.
"The Council will be an expansion of the Teacher Registration Board and will help the Government in its objectives to
lift standards in education," Trevor Mallard said.
The Council's roles will include setting standards for registration, looking at pre-service education and training,
ongoing professional development, and administering the police and character checks on teachers.
"A professional body for teachers is long overdue. It has the potential to improve the quality in our schools and early
childhood centres through promoting best practice and high quality standards in teaching," Mr Mallard said.
AUS NATIONAL OFFICE - NEW TELEPHONE NUMBERS
For members and others who need to ring national office at any time, please note that we now have individual telephone
numbers as set out below:
Monica Zhou 915-6690
Rob Crozier 915-6691
Jeff Rowe 915-6692
Karin Currie 915-6693
Naomi Miller 915-6694
Margaret Ledgerton 915-6695
AUS WEBSITE
Our revamped website has gone live today. Visit us at www.aus.ac.nz
VALUES IN EDUCATION NATIONAL CONFERENCE
A national conference on values education has been organised by the Quality Public Education Coalition (QPEC) to be held
in Palmerston North on 21-23 July 2000.
The conference will provide a forum for constructive debate about values education in its widest dimensions.
Keynote speakers include Professor Jane Kelsey, Professor Brian Hill, Arohia Durie, and Emeritus Professor Ivan Snook,
but practically-oriented workshops will be the focus.
Workshops for the tertiary sector will be held on managerialism, values in technology education and teacher education.
Registration material can be found on www.qpec.org.nz and from Box 1469, Palmerston North.
WORLD WATCH
* MALES THE 'SECOND SEX'
Campus Review (May 24-30, 2000) reports that males are now the 'second sex' on Australian university campuses. There are
now 68,000 more female students than male, and more female staff than male. Of the 162,000 students who finished their
awards in 1998, 56% were women.
Female students now dominate 6 of the 10 major fields of study.
* SEX PAY GAP IN HIGHER EDUCATION GETS WIDER
In an analysis by the Association of University Teachers (UK), latest figures show that the university pay gap is wider
than a year ago, with men earning on average 18% more than women, compared to 17% in 1997-98.
David Triesman, general secretary of the AUT, said every university should be shocked into action. In some groups at
some institutions the pay differential is over 25%.
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AUS Tertiary Update is produced weekly on Fridays and distributed freely to members of the union and others. Back issues
are archived on the AUS website: . Direct enquiries to Rob Crozier, AUS executive director. Email: rob.crozier@aus.ac.nz.