Students Slam Public Funding Of Private Tertiary Education
Students are backing the call of the nation’s universities and polytechnics for the government to cut funding to Private
Training Establishments (PTEs).
“Labour’s decision to continue the National government’s policy of siphoning state funds and redirecting them into
private tertiary education is a direct cause of the underfunding of public education. It has to stop,” said New Zealand
University Students’ Association (NZUSA) Co-President Andrew Campbell.
“The public wouldn’t accept the government funding private secondary schools at the same rate as public schools, yet
this is exactly what’s happening in tertiary education. PTEs in many instances duplicate and mirror courses taught in
public institutions. The government is throwing money away to the detriment of our universities, polytechnics, colleges
of education and wananga,” said Campbell.
Government funding to PTEs has increased by 123 million since 1998 (1757%) while per student funding in public tertiary
education decreased throughout the nineties. “Student fees are effectively subsidising private businesses.”
“There is no good reason why courses taught in the private sector cannot be offered in the public system. Tertiary
education is riddled with competition, low quality courses and government investment being stretched to breaking point.
At the end of the day it is the students who pay for this through high tuition fees that lead to huge student loans,”
said Campbell.
“The government should stop funding PTEs in the upcoming budget and redirect the funds into universities, polytechnics,
wananga and colleges of education,” said Campbell.
ENDS