Parents get behind admissions challenge

The man behind a court challenge to Otago University’s medical school admissions scheme is getting support from other parents whose children missed out.

The medical school’s Mirror on Society policy, introduced in 2012, means domestic students fitting into special categories get preferential entry into Otago medical school.

The North Island father, whose name was suppressed by the High Court this week, has alleged the admissions scheme is operated contrary to the Education Act.

University leaders say they will ‘‘strenuously oppose’’ the legal challenge and limiting special category entrants would ‘‘slow the rate at which a representative health workforce could be achieved’’.

Otago University’s pro-vice-chancellor of Health Sciences, Professor Paul Brunton earlier said the university had an obligation to train health professionals equipped to meet the needs of New Zealand’s diverse communities.

‘‘Ma¯ori comprise only 3.4 per cent and Pacific people 1.8 per cent of the medical workforce, whereas the proportion of the total population who identify as Ma¯ori and Pacific is, respectively, approximately 15 per cent and 8 per cent,’’ he said.

For the 2020 intake, 120 of the 202 places available to first year Health Sciences students went to those entering under special categories. Of those, 79 (39 per cent) were Ma¯ori and Pasifika. There is currently no limit to the proportion of the places available for special category students.

A father of a student who missed out on a place in this year’s intake despite exceptional marks says he supported the legal action testing the criteria.

The man, who asked not to be named, said his child completed the health sciences course at Otago University last year. The student achieved A+ grades for the requisite papers and a UCAT (an intelligence/suitability test) result above the 90th percentile. His child was denied entry.

Ma¯ori and Pasifika applicants were accepted for 2020 with B- averages and no consideration of UCAT scores.

‘‘I don’t know who has raised the challenge against the university, but I would gladly donate towards their legal fees if I did,’’ the man said.

‘‘There has been plenty of noise about how unjust any suggestion of capping Mirror on Society numbers and how it reflects so-called ‘white privilege’.

‘‘What I’m not seeing, in the interests of fairness and balance in the media, are the views of members of the stakeholders from the general admittance pool,’’ he said.

He had attended the health science open day in mid-2018 for year 13 students and not a word was said about the pressures general entry students would face in competing for a limited and potentially declining number of places inmedicine.

‘‘What is sadder is that the same pressure continues for the students declined a place who are still keen to enter as graduates. They have to work extremely hard to maintain high marks to be considered as candidates when they graduate. Again they will be up against special entry students as well as ongoing tuition fees.’’

The Auckland father of another student who was turned down at Otago – after completing the first year Health Science course and then again after gaining a Bachelor of Science with distinction – said the criteria needed to be challenged.

Last year he sought funding from the Office of Human Rights Proceedings to challenge the medical school’s decision regarding his son in the Human Rights Tribunal. He wanted to argue that his son’s grades were higher than students of Ma¯ori and Pacific Island ethnicity who had gained entry and therefore his son was discriminated against on the basis of his race.

The university denied it had improperly.

The office declined to fund the proceeding mainly on the grounds it stood little chance of success given the lawful nature of the university’s affirmative action policies.

In his ruling, director of human rights proceedings Michael Timmins, said the tribunal would be likely to determine that a policy promoting Ma¯ori and Pacific students with relaxed admission criteria was designed to directly address the effect of indirect discrimination.

Ma¯ori comprise only 3.4 per cent and Pacific people 1.8 per cent of the medical workforce.

Professor Paul Brunton

Otago University’s pro-vice-chancellor of Health Sciences

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