PTEs Face An Uncertain Future Under Labour

ACT New Zealand Tertiary Education Spokesman Deborah Coddington today described today's Government policy announcement of a new fee and course costs maxima as further evidence of its ideological bias against private tertiary providers.

"Private tertiary providers up and down the country will be adversely affected by Labour's Muldoonist-style price freezing," Miss Coddington said.

"The worst aspect of this policy is the effect it will have on students who choose to attend a PTE and on firms who employ those students. PTEs play an invaluable role in offering students more flexible training, which can see these students graduating with the same qualifications as those in state institutions - but in far less time. That helps the student and firms and keeps student loan costs down.

"Employers are crying out for skilled labour. These changes, by adversely affecting PTEs, will cut the supply of skilled workers to New Zealand firms. The government babbles on about wanting economic growth, yet it does all it can to frustrate that objective by introducing policies such as the fee maxima. This latest change comes on top of a host of anti-growth policies, the most recent of which is Margaret Wilson's proposed return to compulsory unionism.

In order for these PTEs to survive, they will now have to look at taking a much higher proportion of international students or drastically reduce their student intake - thereby shutting out New Zealand students. They will also also have to cut costs - meaning fewer tutorials, less student support, inferior facilities and equipment. That is a recipe for Third World education standards.

"New Zealand has previously been developing high standards in tertiary education. Standards we could all be proud of. However, due to its highly regulatory polices, Labour is leading New Zealand down the slippery slope to educational mediocrity," Miss Coddington said.

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