Media Release

4 February 2010

UCOL council decision exposes govt's anti-democratic streak

The decision by UCOL council last week to not guarantee a place on its future councils for either students or staff is the absurd but unsurprising consequence of recent anti-democratic government legislation, says TEU National president Dr Tom Ryan.

His comments follow news that the current UCOL governing body had allocated fixed seats on its incoming council to its CEO and an iwi representative, but not to elected staff or student representatives.

The changes follow the Education (Polytechnics) Amendment Bill, which was passed in December and requires ITPs to cut their councils down to a statutory eight members from their current range of 12 to 20. Four of these new members, including the chair and deputy chair, will be directly appointed by the Minister of Tertiary Education, while the specifications for the other four are up to each current council to decide.

"When the government passed its polytechnic governance legislation it clearly wanted to replace democratically chosen community representatives with business and technocratic types. Well, at UCOL it has succeeded," said Dr Ryan. "The two most obvious and largest communities at UCOL now are being denied a place at the governing table, while ministerial favourites will make up a clear majority and have overall rights of veto."

"Students and staff are the people at UCOL and other ITPs who really know what is going on in their institutions. Their representatives on council, more than any other councillors, are required to consult and act democratically. By removing their right to seats, UCOL appears to be doing exactly what the government had hoped for – silencing those voices that might challenge a prejudiced ministerial agenda or criticise an out-of-control management," said Dr Ryan.

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