Maharey - Excellence Not To Be Confused With Privilege In Tertiary Education

Associate Education (Tertiary Education) Minister Steve Maharey today emphasised the importance of treating all elements of tertiary education equally in the course of implementing the Government's tertiary education reforms.

Speaking at the launch of Skill New Zealand's Pathways to Independence publication, which explores the issue of youth transitions from school to work, Steve Maharey advocated a broad definition:

"Our tertiary education and training system is about higher learning; it is about what are already in many respects world class tertiary institutions and scholars.

"But equally it is also about vocational education and training including :
* apprentices involved in work-based mentored training;
* adult workers acquiring technical, or literacy and numeracy skills;
* second-chance education for those who have been placed on the margins of the labour market;
* community and adult education; and,
* WEA and extension studies programmes."

Mr Maharey emphasised how important this year would be for the tertiary education system - broadly defined - and encouraged consumers of the teaching, training and research undertaken to play an active and engaged role in the reform process.

"This year will be a year of immense opportunity for all those involved with tertiary education and training, whether as providers, or as consumers, to engage with the Government to get the system right for the future.

"The Government wants the potential of all parts of the sector to be realised. Excellence should not be confused with privilege," Steve Maharey said.

Ends

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>