Dr Paul Hutchison MP
National Party Tertiary Education Spokesman

16 July 2008

Another tertiary review keeps bureaucrats busy

Labour’s recent announcement of yet another review of tertiary education in Auckland shows the appetite for bureaucratic paper shuffling is almost insatiable in the sector, says National’s Tertiary Education spokesman, Paul Hutchison.

The latest review, of the tertiary education provision and engagement across Auckland, comes on top of a review of the region’s education in 2003/2004, a review of provision on the North Shore in 2007, and a polytechnic-led scoping of provision in the south, north and centre of the region last year.

“It takes the cake when TEC chief executive Janice Shiner tells Education Review that ‘she didn’t know the costs because the previous reviews had not taken place under the current funding system and were not as comprehensive as the new review would be’.

“It is also shocking that the review will not, according to Ms Shiner, be anything to do with how good that provision is. ‘This is not a review of the quality of provision in Auckland. The TEC has other processes for that’.

“Surely Tertiary Minister Pete Hodgson should be insisting that quality, value for money, and costs should all be at the top of any list, but his mind appears to be in other places.

“National has calculated that the Labour Government has wasted more than $419 million on their reforms so far.

“It is horrific to think that after nine years in government they clearly do not have the system right and so continue to spend even more and more on reviews.”

ENDS

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