10. GRANT ROBERTSON (Labour—Wellington Central) Link to this
to the Minister for Tertiary Education
Is he satisfied with how enrolments are being managed in the tertiary sector; if not, what actions is he taking?
Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Tertiary Education) Link to this
I have mixed views on how institutions are managing their enrolments and believe that some could do better. I have spoken directly to vice-chancellors in a number of cases and they have undertaken to manage their enrolments better. The Government took a number of steps in Budget 2010 to relieve pressure on institutions. For example, it will fund a record number of places at universities in 2011—about 5,600 more than in 2008—it has made changes to student loan entitlements for new residents and Australians; and it has introduced a performance element for existing students, with the requirement that they pass the equivalent of 50 percent of their full-time courses over 2 years.
How does the Minister think that Victoria University turning away 1,500 students, Massey University 2,000 students, Waikato University 600 students, and other universities and polytechnics thousands more will help close the wage gap with Australia?
The numbers quoted are interesting numbers. The reality is that they are the numbers mostly quoted in the media. I notice that Otago University has closed its enrolments, and in actual fact has turned down 30 applications for the second semester of 2010. Nevertheless, it is never ideal to turn away too many students. That is why we are working to increase, and have increased, the number of places in 2011, and also have put a limit on student loan entitlements for new residents and Australians. The introduction of a performance element for existing students will ensure that they either use their opportunity for education wisely or make way for somebody new to come into the system to have his or her opportunity.
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. With respect, although the Minister talked about part of the question, the actual question asked how that reduction in the number of students would help close the wage gap with Australia.
Mr SPEAKERThe member will recollect that the Minister in answering the question disputed the statements contained in the member’s question, and the Minister is quite entitled to do that.
Carmel SepuloniWhich of the following National Government actions is more likely to increase the numbers of Māori and Pasifika enrolling and succeeding at university: refusing to lift caps on tertiary institution enrolments; time limits on student loans; or New Zealand Qualifications Authority changes to National Certificate of Educational Achievement requirements for university entrance, which will make it more difficult for thousands of secondary school students to gain eligibility to enter university?
Like me, the member is a new member in this Parliament, so she may not be aware that the reason for the student caps was the previous Government’s approach to student support and interest-free student loans. It introduced caps in 2008 to try to control the cost of tertiary education. Nevertheless, I am confident that the performance-linked funding initiatives that we are putting in place will encourage institutions to provide the pastoral care and support that will improve the outcomes for all New Zealanders, including young Māori and Pasifika.
What work has he done on the impact on closing the wage gap with Australia of universities and polytechnics shutting the door on some student enrolments, especially in light of the fact that while New Zealand tertiary institutions are trying to work out how to keep students out, Australian ones are working out how to get them in?
The member’s question is interesting. The latest statistics show that the New Zealand population aged 25-plus has a higher proportion of student graduates than Australia does. It goes to show that Australia has a little bit of catching up to do. I would also point out that, as a percentage of our GDP, we spend slightly more on tertiary education than the Australians do. The issue is the size of our GDP, which is why the Government has a very comprehensive economic growth agenda to grow our GDP so that we can afford to spend more on these sorts of services.