12 April
Media Statement

Maharey: No change to legal protection of 'College of Education'

The Government will not be proceeding with the Tertiary Education Advisory Commission's recommendation that legislative protections around use of the term "college of education" be removed, Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education) told tertiary education sector leaders yesterday.

Steve Maharey was meeting with representatives of a variety of representative organisations from inside and outside the sector to conclude the period of consultation on the Commission's second report, Shaping the System. The consultation process is a key part of the process informing the development of the paper and recommendations he will be taking to Cabinet on the Government's response to Shaping the System.

"I will not be taking any proposal to Cabinet around ending the protected term status of Colleges of Education, " said Steve Maharey. "Let me lay that concern to rest right now."

"I am confident that the Commission did not propose this change as part of any attempt to undermine the colleges, but rather because they did not think that particular term needed to protected. Nonetheless, while the debate it has generated has been useful in many respects, it also risks diverting attention from the main task of developing a framework which can prepare the tertiary education system for a lead role in developing New Zealand as a knowledge economy and society."

"Essentially, if the Colleges and their students feel it is important to them that the term continue to protected, then it will be."

ENDS

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