Students disappointed at report from Education and Science Select Committee
15 July 2014
This week the Education Amendment Bill (No 2) moved out of the Education and Science Select Committee without amendments
to its dangerous reforms to reduce the size of universities and wānanga councils. If the Bill passes guaranteed student
and staff positions on the governance bodies will be removed and a dangerous level of direct government control will be
introduced.
“Of the 1,568 individual submissions and 298 oral submissions only one supported these widely condemned reforms. NZUSA
believes that these changes are wrong headed and unnecessary. The changes are universally opposed by the sector not
least because the proposed changes have no evidence to support them. This seems to be another political gimmick in the
lead up to the General Election but will have wide-ranging and adverse consequences”, says Daniel Haines, President of
the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA).
“The changes will be officially reported back to the House next Tuesday (22 July) and the Third Reading of the Bill is
scheduled for after the General Election. This makes the election even more crucial for the future of tertiary education
in New Zealand. A majority of parties represented in the current Parliament including the Green Party, the Labour Party,
the Māori Party, the Mana Movement, United Future, and New Zealand First - and the Internet Party which looks likely to
join them after the election, have all told us they will all oppose these radical reforms to university and wānanga
governance.
“Despite this, it seems unlikely that without a change of Government that the Bill will be amended before passing
sometime next year. Students call on the Government to heed the student voice and reject these extreme changes. If
dominated by Ministerial appointees the values that underpin our institutions of higher education, such as being
responsive to students, having a commitment to academic freedom and to fulfilling their role as a critic and conscience
of society will be undermined.
“Student leaders around the country will be mobilising students to vote at the ballot booths, and encouraging them to
have this issue at the forefront of their minds when they do so.
ENDS