2. METIRIA TUREI (Green) Link to this
to the Minister for Tertiary Education
Is he concerned that on the same day that he announced a funding boost of $26 million for universities over the coming year, the New Zealand University Students Association revealed that in 2005 public tertiary education institutions spent an estimated collective total of $28 million on advertising and marketing?
Does he find it frustrating that he is having to bail out universities to the tune of $26 million because those universities say they cannot pay their staff a fair wage, and some, indeed, are making cuts to staffing and to courses, yet those same institutions are spending more than $26 million on TV ads and stupid gimmicks?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
Yes; it underlines the stupidity of a funding system based on “bums on seats” and, therefore, advertising to attract those bums.
Moana MackeyHon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
I have seen reports from a variety of stakeholders that welcomed the announcement, including the New Zealand University Students Association, which has lobbied me on behalf of the staff.
Hon Brian Donnelly Link to this
Can the Minister explain why a staff member teaching a degree programme at Auckland University of Technology should be paid 3 percent more than a teacher of a similar degree at Unitec, simply because Max Bradford, for political purposes—and in his swansong—approved Auckland University of Technology’s application for university status?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
The last part of the statement is certainly correct, but this funding decision arose out of tripartite discussions between the Government, the vice-chancellors, and the Association of University Staff. Of course, therefore, it was a matter for the universities; Unitec is not a university.
Te Ururoa Flavell Link to this
Ka riro anō e ngā wānanga e toru, arā, Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, Te Wānanga o Raukawa me Te Wānanga o Aotearoa he pūtea e ōrite ana ki te pūtea ka tukuna ki ngā whare wānanga e waru; mēnā kāore, he aha ai?
[Will the three wānanga, Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, Te Wānanga o Raukawa, and Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, be receiving funding comparable to that of the eight universities; if not, why not?]
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
No. Only one of the wānanga has postgraduate qualifications of a standard that might be considered comparable with those of the universities. In any case, I repeat that this decision is a result of tripartite discussions between the universities, the Association of University Staff, and the Government. The problem here, of course, is attracting staff comparable with those overseas; that is not such a big issue in relation to the wānanga, it has to be said.
When the Minister’s Government announced its intention to invest $300 million a year in the interest-free student loan scheme, did he consider that because of the flawed competitive funding model, this public investment would be squandered on gimmicks to lure students, like the one that gives students a bottle of water from Victoria University, and comes with the message: “Your brain is 85 percent water. Give it a top-up.”—or perhaps that is just a cheap way of doing a Biology 101 lesson?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
Yes, but of course when Victoria University is trying to compete with Otago University, it has to use any gimmicks possible.
What is the Government doing about the funding model that forces institutions to spend so much on advertising and marketing?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
Cabinet is currently considering a review of the funding system, which will ensure that in the future institutions will focus on improving the quality and relevance of tertiary education rather than on chasing student numbers. Specifically, the new funding formula will also be related to, in part, the outcomes rather than the inputs. The numbers going in is the present basis for funding.
If the Minister really is committed to moving away from a “bums on seats” model for the tertiary sector, when will his Government lead by example, get its own members’ bums off their seats, and make the changes that need to be made to have a more collaborative and cooperative model for funding for tertiary institutions, and when can we see the results?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
Of course, in this place the number of bums on seats is very crucial; otherwise, one sits in different seats.