Govt must rein in tertiary ad budget blow-out
The Green Party says that students are paying higher fees so that the tertiary institutions they attend can spend
exorbitant amounts on advertising campaigns.
Figures released today by the New Zealand University Students’ Association indicated that universities spent $26 million
on marketing in 2004, at the same time as students faced fee increases of almost $20 million.
“It’s a bit poor for students to find out that they’re paying higher fees so that universities can spend more money on
PR,” Green Tertiary Education Spokesperson Nandor Tanczos said.
Nandor said Tertiary Education Minister Trevor Mallard must take responsibility for the issue.
“It’s not good enough for the Government to wash its hands of this, saying that universities set their own budgets. The
Government sets the agenda through its funding mechanisms, and needs to send a clear signal that this culture of
pointless competition is no longer relevant.”