South Auckland panel to challenge tertiary education policy

10 August 2012

South Auckland panel to challenge govt’s tertiary education policy

Staff, students and politicians will gather at the Manukau Institute of Technology to speak up for New Zealand’s tertiary education system next Monday.

The Tertiary Education Union is hosting a panel discussion on 13 August looking at the future of tertiary education in New Zealand.

Panellists include Martin Thrupp from the University of Waikato, Stuart Middleton from MIT, Carmel Sepuloni the CEO of Pacific Public health provider Vaka Tautua, Nanaia Mahuta the Labour Party spokesperson for education, David Clendon the Green Party spokesperson for tertiary education and Sandra Grey the TEU national president.

Dr Sandra Grey, says in recent years tertiary education funding has fallen, institutions have been reorganised and staff are in a state of constant flux. Students and staff have been excluded from decision-making, and community representatives have lost their say in governing their local tertiary institutions. Meanwhile staff workloads continue to grow.

TEU’s Manukau Institute of Technology branch president Lesley Francey, who organised the panel, agrees.

“Our twenty-first century society needs a vibrant, diverse, creative, and dynamic tertiary education system. We need tertiary education to be able to respond to the major challenges facing the world.”

“But what should be friendly, collegial, creative work environments are being heavily micro-managed by government, and by institution managers,” said Lesley Francey. “We want to open the debate with this panel discussion about what kind of tertiary education we want in the Manukau region.”

Details

• 13 August 2012, 4.30 pm
• Manukau Institute of Technology North Campus, Room NR108

TEU presents a 'Speak up for education' event - a panel discussion. Join Martin Thrupp, University of Waikato, Stuart Middleton, MIT, Carmel Sepuloni, CEO of Vaka Tautua, Nanaia Mahuta, Labour Party spokesperson for education, David Clendon, Green Party spokesperson for tertiary education and Sandra Grey, TEU national president. Come and participate in a discussion on the future of tertiary education.

For more information visit www.teu.ac.nz

ENDS

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