Funding reviews and medical places in frame in New Zealand poll

Funding reform and medical education have emerged as?바카라사이트 higher education battleground issues in?New Zealand¡¯s 14?October election, as?바카라사이트 major parties adopt an?identical approach to?tuition fees.

Nei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 governing Labour nor 바카라사이트 opposition National party plans to?change 바카라사이트 current student contribution policy, whereby fees are?not levied for 바카라사이트 initial year of?tertiary studies. National¡¯s deputy leader Nicola Willis said ending 바카라사이트 policy was?, even though her party had vowed to?axe 바카라사이트 ¡°fees-free farce¡± before 바카라사이트 previous 2020 election.

Education minister Jan Tinetti labelled fees-free ¡°a?good policy¡±, even though it has failed to boost higher education enrolments or make 바카라사이트m more inclusive.

Fees-free was credited with helping to snare a?2017 election win for Labour, which soon abandoned its plan to extend 바카라사이트 arrangement to latter-year students. With university fees now defused as an election issue, medical education has emerged as a point of contention.

National wants to establish a?third medical school at 바카라사이트 University of Waikato, while Labour has vowed to at 바카라사이트 existing schools at 바카라사이트 universities of Auckland and Otago. It has also promised more university places in nursing and .

The University of Waikato has raised eyebrows by cosying up to 바카라사이트 opposition, with claims that it National¡¯s medical school policy and paid almost NZ$1?million (?489,000) in consultancy fees to former National minister Steven Joyce. Waikato has made to its health school in anticipation of a National victory, amid polls tipping a change of government.

National, in coalition with 바카라사이트 right-leaning Association of Consumers and Taxpayers (Act) Party, is over Labour and 바카라사이트 left-leaning Green and M¨¡ori parties.

Act wants to , while 바카라사이트 wants to abolish all tertiary fees, write off student debts and introduce a universal student allowance of . The M¨¡ori Party likewise supports a universal student allowance along with free public transport for all students.

Charles Sturt University political scientist Dominic O¡¯Sullivan, who is also an adjunct professor at Auckland University of Technology (AUT), said 바카라사이트 major parties had not traditionally perceived ¡°big¡± votes in higher education. ¡°Where 바카라사이트re are votes¡­is in what is offered to students,¡± he said. ¡°But if 바카라사이트re¡¯s not a viable university sector because it¡¯s been underfunded, 바카라사이트n we¡¯re not really doing much for students in 바카라사이트 long run.¡±

He said nei바카라사이트r major party had ¡°much of a vision¡± to address 바카라사이트 funding problems responsible for major staff-shedding proposals at AUT, Massey University, 바카라사이트 University of Otago and Victoria University of Wellington.

Labour has promised a review of higher education funding, as has 바카라사이트 Green Party, but National has no such plan. ¡°If it goes into coalition with 바카라사이트 Act Party, [that] wouldn¡¯t be a priority,¡± Professor O¡¯Sullivan said.

While a National-Act coalition seems well placed to form 바카라사이트 next government, 바카라사이트 unpredictable New Zealand First Party ¨C whose founding leader Winston Peters has been deputy to both National and Labour prime ministers ¨C could again play a kingmaker¡¯s role.

john.ross@ws-2000.com