New Minister must reform tertiary education for the benefit of all Kiwis


Media release
Tertiary Education Union - Te Hautū Kahurangi o Aotearoa

Rebuilding the tertiary education sector into one that benefits us all is an urgent priority for the new government, and to support the new Education Minister, Chris Hipkins, deliver the change we need, the Tertiary Education Union has today published a briefing [1] setting out what reforms must be put in place.

Providing a way forward for an accessible public tertiary education system, the briefing makes a series of recommendations that will enable the new Minister to reverse years of National’s under funding, ensure our communities have access to quality learning opportunities, change the rules so staff and students have a voice in workplace decisions, increase student support and improve pay and conditions.

Sandra Grey, national president of the Tertiary Education Union, said: “The change of government has brought hope for the future of our sector and the thousands of dedicated staff that work tirelessly to give our students the best possible learning experience. However, now is not the time to sit back and let the government get on with it.

“We must hold them to their promises and work hard to ensure they deliver the change we need for an accessible, fully-funded public tertiary education system that supports staff and student well-being. The recommendations we have published today set out a plan for exactly this. They are the ideas staff want to see the new Education Minister Chris Hipkins and his team put in place to improve tertiary education for the benefit of us all.”

Recommendations in the TEU’s briefing include the following, some of which could be implemented in Chris Hipkins’ first 100 days, and others that can be put in place over the remainder of the three-year parliamentary term:

• Scrap National’s damaging Education Amendment Bill immediately, and over the next three years ditching the competitive model and student achievement component of funding and replacing it with planned and managed funding

• Restore a strong staff, student, and community voice to university, wānanga, and polytechnic councils

• End the obsession with narrow performance metrics so teaching, research and learning is understood as more than completions and international journal articles

• Immediately increase student allowances by at least $50 per week, and by the end of the Parliamentary terms make sure all students receive the same accommodation allowance afforded others receiving benefits

The TEU has written to the new Minister requesting a meeting at the earliest opportunity to discuss these recommendations in full.

--ENDS—

Notes to Editors

1. A copy of Critic, Conscience and Community: A briefing to the incoming Education Minister is available online at http://teu.ac.nz/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Briefing-to-the-Incoming-Minister.pdf