In our lead story this week…..
CHARTER TRIALISTS MEET
Representatives of the 56 tertiary institutions and other tertiary providers that will take part in the trial of
charters and profiles under the new tertiary education regime met in Wellington this week to attend a briefing on the
trial. Universities taking part are AUT, Canterbury, Massey, Waikato and Otago. The trial which runs through to October
this year, will be followed by full implementation in 2003. Charters and Profiles, seen by Minister Steve Maharey as
‘the tools of transformation that will bring the Tertiary Education Strategy to life’, are one of six key elements in
the new tertiary system, the others being: the Tertiary Education Strategy; Statement of Tertiary Education Priorities;
Assessment of Strategic Relevance; Funding; and Monitoring and Evaluation.
Also in Tertiary Update this week:
1. Summit highlights rise in student debt
2. ATSA reminds Minister of promise
3. Business Roundtable supports investment partnerships
4. Minister backs polytech talks
5. NTEU warning over detention centre involvement
6. European V-Cs call for transparency in trade talks
7. Middle East specialist opposes boycott of Israeli academics
SUMMIT HIGHLIGHTS RISE IN STUDENT DEBT
The New Zealand University Students' Association (NZUSA) says latest figures for student debt show that the policy
changes of the last few years have failed to curb the growth in student loans. Figures showing a 3.1% increase in
student loans over $10,000 were unveiled at the third annual student debt summit held at the Auckland University of
Technology. NZUSA co-president Andrew Campbell said the trend was upwards, and that would continue until government
attacked the "drivers of debt", especially the lack of access to student allowances. The summit was also addressed by
economist, Brian Easton who said students had been forced to pay more for their education to offset tax reductions for
those on high incomes. He also attacked the "human capital" theory underpinning the loans scheme. Under this,
expenditure on education was treated as an investment which solely enhanced the student's earning power, ignoring the
benefits of tertiary education to the wider society. He called instead for a broader vision that recognised New
Zealanders had social entitlements to an education. Another speaker, the president of the New Zealand Council of Trade
Unions Ross Wilson told the summit it was unfair that 44% of university students came from the wealthiest 20% of school
districts compared with 9% from the poorest 20% of school districts. "If access to university education is skewed in
favour of those already better off, then we worsen inequality, not lessen it." He also stressed the importance of
life-long learning to allow workers to upgrade and extend their qualification and knowledge.
ATSA REMINDS MINISTER OF PROMISE
The Aotearoa Tertiary Students' Association (ATSA) has made it clear that if Labour is returned to power, the student
body will expect to be fully consulted on all changes to the financial support of tertiary students. National president,
Julie Pettett says the minister in charge of tertiary education, Steve Maharey had told students that any changes would
involve the students' association, and had made the same promise to the governing body of ATSA at their recent
conference. "The real question will be whether the proposed changes will offer anything of substance worth consultation
with ATSA," she says.
BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE SUPPORTS INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIPS
At the same time as AUS raised concerns that the Partnerships for Excellence Framework could put at risk academic
freedom if it created too much reliance on private money in tertiary education (see last weeks Update) , the New Zealand
Business Roundtable has welcomed the government's announcement of the joint public/private sector investment framework.
Policy advisor for the business lobby group, Norman LaRocque said private sector participation could bring a number of
benefits to the tertiary education sector, including improved quality, greater efficiency and an injection of capital
and management expertise. But he called for a "streamlined" application and review process to encourage private
investment while at the same time ensuring taxpayers' investment was protected.
MINISTER BACKS POLYTECH TALKS
The tertiary education minister, Steve Maharey has assured Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (CPIT) and
the Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) that their talks aimed at ending a "turf war" do not contravene the Commerce
Act and should resume. The two institutions had suspended preliminary talks on how they might collaborate to end a
cut-price fees war that had developed over trades training in Christchurch. According to the Christchurch Press
newspaper, the two sides had been looking at how they might "trade off" courses, but the talks stalled over the issue of
potential collusion under the Act. Mr Maharey said the government had already signalled it wanted more collaboration in
the sector and that Ministry of Education officials had briefed the Commerce Commission on the reforms.
WORLD WATCH
NTEU WARNING OVER DETENTION CENTRE INVOLVEMENT
Australia's National Tertiary Education Union has warned the Australian Technology Network of Universities (ATN) against
getting involved in providing education and other services to immigration detention centres. The company that runs the
centres, Group 4 Falck had approached ATN to provide education, recreational and sporting activities for asylum seekers
held at the centres. NTEU general secretary, Grahame McCulloch reminded ATN that universities, as public institutions,
needed to understand the importance of human rights and reflect this in their work. "While we understand the importance
of providing educational and recreational services to those in correctional facilities, the immigration detention
centres are not correctional facilities and are clearly an inappropriate means of housing asylum seekers," he said. "We
would question the effectiveness of delivering education services in an environment where all freedoms are taken away."
Meanwhile the NTEU, in its submission to the Australian government's review of higher education, has called for the
emphasis to be on more co-operation and less competition in the sector. President, Dr Carolyn Allport says universities
are suffering from the combined effects of funding cuts and inappropriate competition. “We need reform that encourages
universities to share their expertise to benefit the many communities they serve," she says. "Sometimes the best way to
encourage diversity and specialisation is through more support rather than more competition."
EUROPEAN V-CS CALL FOR TRANSPARENCY IN TRADE TALKS
Vice-chancellors from European universities have called for more openness in negotiations on a global market in higher
education after learning by chance that the European Commission had submitted a formal request for bilateral talks on
the subject with the United States under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). The European University
Association (EUA) says it should have been more closely involved as happens in negotiations in other service sectors.
The talks with the US bring closer the possibility that US-based for-profit organisations could compete directly with
European universities, perhaps allowing them to demand access to state funding and accreditation.
MIDDLE EAST SPECIALIST OPPOSES BOYCOTT OF ISRAELI ACADEMICS
The editor of the "International Journal of Middle East Studies" Juan Cole has countered calls among fellow academics
for a boycott of their Israeli counterparts. Professor Cole says suggestions that the Israeli situation can be compared
to that of apartheid in South Africa are not valid. He says that while South African academic institutions generally
gave their backing to the apartheid government, it is no easy task to find an Israeli academic who "expresses something
other than deep distaste for [Israeli Prime Minister] Ariel Sharon". He says a boycott could also forestall important
new peace developments, given the role back-channel meetings of Israelis and Palestinians at a university in Norway had
played in the Oslo peace process.
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AUS Tertiary Update is produced weekly on Thursdays and distributed freely to members of the union and others. Back
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