English applauds Hood criticism of the TEC

The Government must sit up and listen to the damning criticism its tertiary reforms have received from Auckland University's Oxford-bound Vice-Chancellor, says National Education Spokesman, Bill English.

He was responding to remarks made by Dr John Hood in the University of Auckland 2003 Annual Report.

"Dr Hood has come out swinging against the Minister and his ill-conceived dream - the Tertiary Education Commission," says Mr English.

Dr Hood says the independence of our universities is at risk from a "raft of moves towards more regulation and greater centralisation".

"I fully endorse this sentiment from Dr Hood. The independence of the tertiary sector is at risk from this Labour government and its nanny-state mentality.

"The TEC acts more like a head office every day and its usefulness is constantly questioned by those within the tertiary education sector.

"It's a bureaucratic nightmare with universities and polytechs facing a never ending paper war in a bid to keep up with the TEC's demands.

"The millions of taxpayer dollars spent on this new organ of Government would be much better spent on raising the quality of tertiary education.

"Tens of thousands of tertiary students and thousands of academics are better placed to make these decisions than the best Minister or the smartest bureaucrat in Wellington will ever be," says Mr English.

"Dr Hood is to be commended for speaking out so forthrightly".

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