Tertiary Changes Require Greater Investment

Tertiary Changes Require Greater Investment

Students welcomed today’s announcement of a new funding system for tertiary education but warned that increased funding was seriously needed in Dr Cullen’s announcements if New Zealand is to have a high quality public tertiary education system.

“Low levels of government funding is a significant issue for our pubic tertiary education sector and far greater levels are required if the tertiary reforms are to be meaningful for students,” said Joey Randall, Co-President of the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA).

“We’re concerned that capping the Government’s financial contribution to the sector in particular areas could further limit access to tertiary education for groups already locked out because of financial barriers and low student allowance eligibility.”

“Tuition fees aren’t mentioned in these latest announcements, yet this is a prime opportunity for the Government to address New Zealand’s exorbitantly high tertiary fees,” said Mr Randall.

“The Minister should also use this opportunity to severely limit the amount of government funding going to profit driven private training establishments, and instead re-invest that money into the public tertiary sector where it is desperately needed.”

“We anticipate that the reforms will go some way towards enabling institutions to better provide for students and their communities through longer term funding and greater sector wide co-operation, reduce incentives for wasteful competition, and enable students to have a greater role in shaping government and tertiary institution priorities,” concluded Mr Randall.

ENDS

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