Union warns of tertiary education changes
Trump University could set up in New Zealand at taxpayers’ expense – to the detriment of local tertiary providers and local learning.
That’s a scenario advanced by Tina Smith, a lecturer in nursing at Palmerston North’s UCOL and a member of the national council of the Tertiary Education Union.
A government-sponsored amendment to the Education Act has the potential to adversely affect one of Palmerston North’s major industries, Smith said.
‘‘In 2011 to 12, the Government brought in contestable funding for level 1, 2 and then level-3 courses, and polytechs had to compete with private training establishments (PTES), who set themselves up with taxpayer funds.’’
Smith said UCOL, along with most other polytechs in New Zealand, was deprived of its lowerlevel courses, while Palmerston North lost out completely to Auckland-based providers. ‘‘Not only were those programmes, resources and facilities lost, but people in the region lost access to them.’’
Smith said the Education (Tertiary Education and Other Matters) Amendment Bill before Parliament amounts to privatisation of the tertiary sector. Under the legislation, PTES become independent training establishments and are given equal rights to taxpayer dollars.
‘‘Multi-nationals will come in, suck the profit out, and won’t be meeting our education needs.’’
Submissions on the amendment close on June 23 and Smith is keen for people to have a say.
The union has called a public meeting in the Palmerston North City Library on Monday evening to discuss the proposed legislation and its implications, especially for regional tertiary centres such as Palmerston North.
Union president Dr Sandra Grey, of Victoria University will speak, and mayor Grant Smith, Massey’s vice chancellor Jan Thomas, UCOL’S chief executive Leeza Boyce and political candidates have been invited.
Tertiary Education Minister Paul Goldsmith denied that removing the old funding differential between public and private providers reduced polytechnic funding rates.
Goldsmith said the budget provided significant new funding for public providers. ‘‘Of the $132.1 million in funding over four years, we estimate that almost 90 per cent will go to public providers, and private providers will receive about 7 per cent.’’