Tertiary education quality under scrutiny 

Source: ONE NewsLincoln University

The quality of education at university and polytech level is coming under scrutiny, as the financial squeeze goes on.

There is concern within the industry that standards are slipping because the government is tightening its belt, but the government, in its defence, says it is all about delivering value for money.

About 600,000 students attend tertiary institutions in New Zealand, but many of those who teach them are concerned about where their industry is heading.

Tom Ryan of the Tertiary Education Union says they face the very real risk of slipping badly behind neighbouring countries like Australia. And he is not alone in that belief.

Richard Handley of the Western Institute of Technology says there are some significant tensions.

"(There is) almost, in fact, a perfect storm of issues that we're trying to deal with," says Handley.

The "perfect storm" seems to be created largely by money and a shortage of it.

This year how tertiary institutions are funded changed - there are now caps on how many students are paid for by the taxpayer.

But also this year, student numbers ballooned because of the recession and tertiary institutions have been left battling to balance the books.
 
Former Tertiary Education Minister Steve Maharey now heads Massey University.

"No one should be in any doubt this is a moment when we are changing the system of education in the country, so I'm sure it will be a point of sharp debate," says Maharey.

And there has been robust debate, especially in Taranaki where its polytech had to turn away more than 300 students this semester.

"That's a very disappointing result when our primary responsibility is to developing those skills within our communities," says Handley.

More selective

But Education Minister Anne Tolley says tertiary educators need to be more selective with students.

"It doesn't do anyone any good to put them into courses that are not right for them, that they're not going to finish, that are not going to give them that step forward that they need when they've accumulated a loan," says Tolley.

One way institutions are coping with the changes is upping student fees.

Sam Oldham, a Victoria University student, is facing disciplinary action for throwing eggs while protesting against a 5% fee hike.

"Entire departments have been terminated; the quality of my education has gone down. I'm receiving less contact time, less tutorial time because budgets are being slashed," says Oldham.

And staff ONE News spoke to say morale is not high within the teaching faculty either.

With tutorial budgets cut, they say there is little support for the next generation of academic staff.

Lecturers say they are working harder but there is no pay increase in the pipeline.

In fact, staff at some polytechs have been striking over stalled pay talks.

Victoria University lecturer Sandra Grey says staff cannot take the pressure.

"We have staff who are leaving because of workloads, who just feel that the tertiary sector has had such cuts that they can't maintain the quality they'd like and they can't maintain physically the workload that's required of them," Grey says.

Tolley says every organisation funded by the government is feeling pressure from the recession.

"We've got a new government, we have new priorities, and we are putting some pressure on the sector to perform."

However, whether it can continue to perform remains to be seen.