3. Dr ASHRAF CHOUDHARY (Labour) Link to this
to the Minister for Tertiary Education
What is the Government doing to ensure high-quality tertiary education and training?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Minister for Tertiary Education) Link to this
I have recently announced—last week and today—increased funding, including $127 million over 4 years for the institutes of technology, polytechnic industry training, and wānanga sectors; $129 million for the university sector; and a further $199.5 million for the whole sector. Together with the tertiary reform legislation this will ensure the tertiary education sector fulfils New Zealand’s needs and provides better value for money for taxpayers and for students.
Dr Ashraf Choudhary Link to this
How do these announcements show that the Government is achieving value for money in the tertiary education sector?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
Much of the money available for this investment has come through savings in other tertiary education spending. We have been able to engage in that reinvestment because our reforms have stopped the out-of-control expenditure inherited from National’s failed experiments in uncapped tertiary education funding driven by student choice.
Hon Brian Donnelly Link to this
Does the Minister consider that sufficient time is allowed for those tertiary education organisations, which confront significant variation in funding, to respond to that variation, given that the Tertiary Education Commission board of commissioners will not consider the plans until October or November 2007, and funding will occur in January 2008 according to the Tertiary Education Commission’s investment guidance document?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
I think that it is true that the final sign-off will be late this year. We have already released the investment guidance, and there have been extensive meetings with the sector on its implications. Discussions between the Tertiary Education Commission and the tertiary education organisations will take place starting at the end of this month. So the organisations will have a much earlier indication of likely funding than the final sign-off would indicate.
Hon Brian Donnelly Link to this
Could the Minister explain to the House the purpose of the tripartite forum process and how it has been operating?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
The purpose of the tripartite forum is to look at improvements to quality and at upskilling within the university sector, particularly at how it is possible to lift relative incomes amongst the academic staff, given that over a long period of time these have tended to fall behind and have put us at a disadvantage in terms of international comparisons. Both last year and this year we have been able to feed some extra money into the university sector with the assurance that that will flow through into salaries.