Tertiary Education
UnitedFuture has proposed a bold new approach to tertiary education policy, which would see New Zealand as a nation that finally offers free education to its citizens from the age of 3 years old, right through to university and beyond.
We propose a zero-fees policy for tertiary education in New Zealand, accompanied by a push to increase the quality of tertiary education and protect the value of New Zealand degrees.
It is UnitedFuture policy to:
- Ensure that entrance standards remain high for universities to keep universities competitive internationally.
- Encourage links and incentives between tertiary providers and industry to ensure that skills taught are relevant and required in the future labour market.
- Ensure that tertiary education instructors undergo a minimum amount of training in teaching, and require teaching performance to be monitored and included as a factor in promotion decisions.
- Ensure that degree courses are taught by staff actively engaged in relevant research.
- Require tertiary institutions to include policies on students with disabilities in their charters and to report on these annually.
- Ensure that the intent of the University Act is not diluted by external audit of compliance areas, especially in non relevant research.
- Provide a special EFTS category for tertiary students with disabilities, which recognises their needs and requirements, improving their access to further education.
- Promote greater awareness of the opportunities afforded by vocational training.
- Encourage all young people under 25 who are not at school to either be “earning or learning” (i.e. in some form of education/training or work) and support initiatives such as the Mayoral Taskforce for Jobs.
- Ensure that senior students have sufficient access to advice and information about career choices and opportunities for further education and training.
Student Support
It is UnitedFuture policy to:
- We propose a zero-fees policy for tertiary education in New Zealand, accompanied by a push to increase the quality of tertiary education and protect the value of New Zealand degrees.
- Under UnitedFuture’s policy, from January 2010, tertiary education fees will be free for New Zealanders whether they are learning part-time or fulltime at tertiary education institutions.
- Focus on quality so that more New Zealand universities are ranked in the top 100 universities in the world. Australia has 6 ranked in the top 50 – we only have one in the top 100 – and this needs to change.
- Ensure all tertiary students unable to find work over the summer period have access to the Emergency Unemployment Benefit.
- The current student loan repayment threshold is too low at just over $18,000. UnitedFuture would increase the repayment level to the full-time (40 hours per week) minimum wage, which as of Jan 2009 would be $25,000.