Give to staff, take away from students

National's Tertiary Education spokesman, Simon Power, says hefty pay demands by university staff highlight the folly of the Government's fee maxima policy.

"No university could meet this demand for a 10 per cent pay rise for staff for each of the next three years. This is just further proof that this policy will stymie chances of our universities attracting top quality staff," he says.

"Institutions are now tied into no more than five per cent, per year fee increases. Any attempt to satisfy big pay demands will have to be siphoned out of funds earmarked for the delivery of courses.

"What will this do to the standard of tertiary education?" asks Mr Power.

"Universities will have to try to deliver the same quality of course, with less funds, to an ever increasing number of students. It's obvious the quality of courses will suffer.

"This is what National warned would happen when the Government announced its fee maxima policy.

"While Labour may claim that the fee maxima benefits students - in the end, these same students will suffer as the quality of their education plummets," says Mr Power.

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