A 60 per cent increase in advertising spending by six tertiary institutions over the past two years is an outrage, Green Party tertiary education spokesperson Michael Tritt said today.

A study conducted by the Aotearoa Post-Compulsory Students Union (APSU) has revealed the large increase in marketing and advertising expenditure between 1998 and 2000, despite an increase of only 5 per cent in total student enrolments at the six institutions.

"The fact that marketing expenditures at some tertiary institutions are equivalent to 10 per cent of student tuition fees is completely unacceptable," Mr Tritt said. "Our universities and polytechnics are spending money luring students away from each other, instead of concentrating on providing quality teaching and research."

Mr Tritt said the study clearly demonstrated the madness of the competitive model for tertiary education.

"Tertiary education minister Steve Maharey has loudly pronounced that the competitive model of tertiary education is dead. I call upon Mr Maharey to keep his word and put a stop to this nonsense," Mr Tritt said.

"I also call upon those running our tertiary institutions to stop behaving like corporate boards of directors, and to start acting in the public interest."

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