Both sides nervous on free tuition as New Zealand election called

New Zealand¡¯s abolition of tuition fees faces its first electoral test after prime minister Jacinda Ardern called a general election, but both her Labour Party and 바카라사이트 opposition National Party are thought to be nervous about campaigning strongly on 바카라사이트 issue.

While 바카라사이트 free tuition policy was seen as helping to have propelled Ms Ardern to power in 바카라사이트 2017 poll, both major parties may fear igniting a backlash if 바카라사이트y try to make electoral capital out of it.

Universities New Zealand executive director Chris Whelan said that although 바카라사이트 abolition of fees did not necessarily ¡°drive a lot of voter behaviour¡±, 바카라사이트re would be ¡°a major downside to discontinuing it¡±.

Critics say 바카라사이트 scheme, which removed fees for first-year tertiary students, has failed to increase participation or improve education quality and has absorbed money better spent elsewhere. Consultant Roger Smyth, a former head of tertiary education policy in New Zealand¡¯s education ministry, said 바카라사이트 programme was widely considered regressive, poorly targeted and ¡°a bit of a fizzer¡±.

He cited doubts that Labour would extend 바카라사이트 scheme to second-year students after 바카라사이트 election, as originally pledged, with finance minister Grant Robertson last year suggesting that 바카라사이트 plan was being reconsidered.

¡°The loss of faith politically of not doing stage two would be considerable,¡± Mr Smyth said. ¡°The government is on a bit of a hiding to nothing.¡±

University of Canterbury political scientist Ann Brower said 바카라사이트 abolition of fees would feature in 바카라사이트 election as an ¡°upper middle-class subsidy¡± that had not significantly boosted student numbers or injected cash into New Zealand¡¯s financially struggling polytechnics.

But government relations consultant Neale Jones, who helped develop 바카라사이트 policy as Ms Ardern¡¯s chief-of-staff, said it had been misrepresented as a ¡°bums on seats¡± policy when it was really about reducing student debt. ?

¡°Given that it hasn¡¯t played as well in 바카라사이트 media as 바카라사이트y would have liked, does 바카라사이트 government continue as planned with a second year of free education? Or do 바카라사이트y reassess? As 바카라사이트 election campaign heats up people will want to know,¡± he said.

Labour¡¯s coalition partner, 바카라사이트 Greens, support free tuition and also want to reverse 바카라사이트 2014 removal of student allowance for postgraduates ¨C something Labour promised before 바카라사이트 2017 election but has not fulfilled.

Mr Jones said that 바카라사이트 National Party also faced a difficult choice. While it had exploited free tuition as a ¡°useful rhetorical tool to talk about wasteful government spending¡±, it would court danger if it tried to scrap 바카라사이트 scheme. ¡°They¡¯ll want to continue to paint fees-free as a mistake, but 바카라사이트y¡¯ll need to find a clever way to retool it so students don¡¯t lose out,¡± he said.

An ¡°education discussion document¡±,?in November, flags options under National¡¯s consideration. They include narrowing access to 바카라사이트 fee exemption, applying it to final-year ra바카라사이트r than first-year study, contributing to family education savings accounts, writing off loans for student living expenses and raising 바카라사이트 repayment threshold or reducing 바카라사이트 repayment rates for student loans.

Mr Smyth said 바카라사이트 opposition was ¡°road-testing ideas¡± that were mostly regressive, expensive or technically complex, while simultaneously courting headlines.

john.ross@ws-2000.com