Tertiary Education Commission to benefit from learner perspective

A learner advisory committee is to be established to assist the Tertiary Education Commission, Minister responsible for the Transition Tertiary Education Commission Steve Maharey said today.

Legislation establishing the Tertiary Education Commission is currently before Parliament. The eight-member Commission will oversee the reshaping of New Zealand’s post-school education system to better meet New Zealand’s social and economic development needs. The Commission is not a representative body, rather its members are appointed to reflect a cross-section of skills and experience from the tertiary education sector and its stakeholders.

Steve Maharey said he has accepted respresentations from the Green Party and others that it will always be difficult for a full-time learner to gain appointment on skills and experience alone, ahead of others who in most cases will have advanced further into their career.

“The Commission therefore intends consulting with learner organisations on the appointment of a person with a learner perspective to attend its meetings as a non-voting participant. This person will also be a member of the learner advisory committee. This will provide them with a support network and enable them to more effectively represent the diversity of learner perspectives to the Commission.

“The Tertiary Education Commission will shortly also be seeking nominations and the views of learner organisations on the composition and form of the learner advisory committee.

“The non-voting participant will be appointed at the Commission’s February meeting,” Steve Maharey said.

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