Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Tertiary Institutions 'Should Not Assume Funding Will Be Maintained'
John Gerritsen, Education correspondent
The Tertiary Education Commission has indicated some tertiary institutions could face funding cuts next year.
The commission's annual guidance to institutions said they should not assume their funding would increase or even be maintained next year.
"Total funding available for Vote Tertiary Education will be limited and we will need to reprioritise our investment in a fiscally constrained environment. This will mean disinvesting from lower-performing and/or some non-priority provision to ensure funding is directed towards the government's priority areas.
"When planning for 2026, you should not assume your funding will be increased or maintained. We expect you to reprioritise your funding, where relevant, to respond to our priorities," the guidance said.
The guidance warned that course and qualification completion rates needed to improve.
"There is significant room for improvement, with most outcomes declining or continuing to plateau at current levels. For example, it is not acceptable that less than two-thirds of learners at Level 7-degree level (and even less for some groups) complete their qualification," it said.
The document said the government's higher education priorities included science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), health, and teacher education as well as qualifications for the food and fibre, and construction and infrastructure industries.
"Workforce demands span STEM disciplines including software engineering (eg, safety-critical software, signal processing, autonomous operations), avionics/electronic engineering (eg, remote sensing systems, communication systems, radar engineering), rocketry, and test and evaluation/quality assurance. Including space topics or courses in areas of existing educational strengths (eg, biotechnology) will also support maturing the domestic sector," it said.
A scientist told RNZ the STEM priorities were "bizarre" and looked like applied technology rather than science.
The guidance said the commission's key focus areas were "increased focus on investing in high performing and high priority provision to support economic growth"; improving educational outcomes, and "supporting the vocational education and training (VET) sector as it transitions towards a stronger regional focus".
Universities New Zealand chief executive Chris Whelan said the guidance sent a clear signal, but universities were not sure how it would play out.
"What's on the plan guidance signals a direction, but it doesn't provide very clear rules. We know that there will be conversations, we don't know yet the detail of how those conversations are going to go," he said.
RNZ
New Zealand's public broadcaster, providing comprehensive NZ news and current affairs, specialist audio features and documentaries.
Radio New Zealand is a Crown entity established under the Radio New Zealand Act 1995. Radio New Zealand News are vital elements in our programming, providing impartial news and information to New Zealanders every day. Radio New Zealand (RNZ) provides listeners with exciting and independent radio programmes in accordance with the Radio New Zealand Charter.
New Zealand Olympic Committee: Motherhood In Focus For Wāhine Toa Graduates Ahead Of Mother's Day
Early Childhood New Zealand: Budget 2026 Must Protect The Future Of Quality Early Childhood Education
Creative New Zealand: Aotearoa Manu Take World Art Stage As 61st Venice Biennale Opens
Country Music Honours: 2026 Country Music Honours Finalists Announced
Mana Mokopuna: Children’s Commissioner Welcomes New Youth Mental Health And Suicide Prevention Services In Te Tai Tokerau
New Zealand Kindergartens: 100-Years On - Investing In Teacher-Led, Quality Early Childhood Education Is Investing In Aotearoa’s Future