MEDIA RELEASE
22 OCTOBER 1999
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
IS MAX MAKING IT UP?
Figures used by Max Bradford to justify the private benefits of tertiary education are wrong claims Aotearoa
Post-compulsory Student Union President John Barkess.
Mr. Bradford claims that a tertiary education would give a graduate extra earnings of $525,000 over their lifetime.
A Treasury Working Paper entitled "Private and Public Returns to Investments in Secondary and Higher Education in New
Zealand Over Time: 1981 - 1996"*, conducted with proper research, showed that the highest private rate of return from a
tertiary education was $149,485 for a male and $90,183 for a female. This was the difference between a person with no
qualification and a person with a postgraduate qualification.
"Unless there has been a huge jump in wages over the last 3 years or Mr. Bradford has access to information the Treasury
doesn't, I fail to see how he arrived at his figures," said Mr. Barkess. "Mr. Bradford needs to justify his claims with
hard evidence. We are always being challenged to substantiate our figures. It is now time for the Minister to do the
same."
"If he is with holding information from Treasury I would suggest he should share his toys as we were all taught in the
days of free education. If he isn't then I would suggest he revise his figures so they reflect the true situation."
"It is disturbing when the government appears to be attempting to mislead the public at a time when the 'Knowledge
Economy' has become such an important election issue. This sends the wrong message to people thinking of getting a
Student Loan. Mr. Bradford should think carefully before encouraging more debt among the youth of New Zealand."
For further comment contact John Barkess 025 756 526.
*This working paper was written by Sholeh Maani of the Department of Economics at Auckland University under contract to
the New Zealand Treasury.
ENDS
John Barkess President Aotearoa Post-compulsory Students Union john.apsu@students.org.nz Ph (04) 4982501 025 756 526
Fax (04) 4996554 PO Box 10-191 WELLINGTON