Govt must ensure Destiny University does not open floodgates

Media Release
Tertiary Education Union
9 January 2012

Govt must ensure Destiny University does not open floodgates

Destiny Church ‘University’ could be just the beginning if the government’s Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPPA) trade negotiations conclude without proper public scrutiny.

“Destiny’s outlandish ‘university’ makes a mockery of the public education responsibilities of New Zealand’s real universities, polytechnics and wānanga,” said TEU President Dr Sandra Grey. “Our public universities all provide accredited evidence based high quality public education. That is what New Zealanders expect when they hear the term ‘university’.”

“In all likelihood Mr Tamaki’s ‘university’ will do none of those things. It is likely that his own battered reputation will be enough to ensure most Kiwis are not conned into paying for an education of little value. However, there are thousands of other pseudo-educational institutions like Mr Tamaki’s out there in the world, many wanting to expand their market access into New Zealand.”

“The Government’s Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, currently being negotiated with the United States and seven other countries, will ensure those sham-universities have the same rights to set up business in New Zealand that Mr Tamaki has. In effect, the combination of proposals like Mr Tamaki’s and the TPPA threatens to open the floodgates for dozens of foreign privately-owned, extremist sham-universities to set up a campus in New Zealand and seek public funding.”

ENDS