Future of Education debate says a whole lot of nothing about cuts for universities

On September 28th, an election debate was held with candidates from five major parties at Victoria University, called the ‘Future of Education in Aotearoa New Zealand’. 

However, the politicians had almost nothing to say about the huge job and course cuts facing universities over the hour and a half.  

The Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) recently cut a further $51.8 million dollars to Massey University, University of Otago, Auckland University of Technology, Victoria University of Wellington, and Polytech Te Pūkenga.   

Labour Taranaki MP Angela Roberts was asked by Massive why she didn’t take the opportunity to acknowledge the cuts happening at universities under the Labour government.  

Roberts felt the questions didn’t bring up the topic, and she wasn’t wrong.  

The debate was filled with questions about the primary and high school sectors, while university students filled seats waiting for acknowledgment.  

Course cuts had begun at Massey with up to one third of the papers currently offered on the chopping board.  

The TEC had encouraged universities to cut staff as a solution to their financial problems.  

Roberts said, “Of course they’re encouraging universities [to cut stuff], because they don’t have enough money.” 

“I don’t think that is the solution, but at the moment it's the only solution, because the problem is not enough funding.” 

She said the funding model needed changing, but when asked why Labour didn’t change it earlier, she said, “That's a really good question.” 

“Too little too late? I don’t think that means that we can escape having to do it.”  

Victoria University of Wellington Student Association (VUWSA) president Jessica Ye was disappointed that the cuts weren’t discussed. 

A few days before the debate, VUWSA and other student associations sent an open letter to the TEC asking the question, “How can we have confidence in the TEC to provide independent, high-quality advice on a problem when it has played a direct role in creating that problem?” 

In June, the Government announced a higher education review in response to tertiary sector-wide protest against mass staff redundancies and a flawed funding model. 

The open letter asked the TEC to ensure the Higher Education Funding Review was led by a mixed group of independent experts, university staff, and students.  

She said the TEC “seems to be running the Minister of Education”. 

She said ACT’s Chris Bailey and NZ First’s Andy Foster weren’t all that clued up at the debate.  

When the panel was asked what makes a great education system, Foster said he wasn’t prepared to answer.  

“It would have been good to have people prepared to talk about education,” Ye said.