TEU Vol 15 No 42 - Govt attacks on academic ‘undemocratic'

Govt attacks on academic ‘undemocratic’

The prime minister and the minister of trade have both attacked Massey University academic Mike Joy this week. The Prime Minister told the New Zealand Herald this week, in reference to Mike Joy, that New Zealanders had to be careful not to run the country down with research that "might not be factually correct".

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Govt invests in Canterbury TEI rebuild

The government has agreed in principle to provide capital support to Canterbury’s three tertiary education institutions for their earthquake-rebuilding programme.

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Aoraki CEO resigns

Aoraki Polytechnic's chief executive Kay Nelson resigned this week. The Timaru Herald reports Kay Nelson was almost four years into her five-year contract, and will work out a three-month notice period.

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Bahraini teacher watches student protesters dragged from class

Bahraini teacher Hana Husien was in tears this week as she told unions around the world how government forces arrested, assaulted and abused students from her classroom, after they protested for democracy in her country.

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Foundation studies campaign saves jobs at UCOL

TEU’s national day of action opposing cuts to foundation studies campaign draws widespread publicity and a small initial victory at UCOL where several jobs were saved.

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Joyce gets more engineering students

The tertiary education skills and employment minister Steven Joyce continued his infatuation with engineering last week, announcing there will be 1000 more engineering places available at universities and institutes of technology in 2013.

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Other news

The potential breach of personal information relating to university academic staff is of great concern says Universities New Zealand – Te Pōkai Tara Chair Professor Pat Walsh, following the theft of information from a member of the Performance-Based Research Fund (PBRF) Health Panel in Auckland recently – Universities NZ

The British government’ s higher education White Paper from last year aims to create a “level playing field” between private providers and universities. Now private providers are calling for university representatives on the Funding Council board to be replaced with members independent of the sector, and one major US for-profit has told the government it would welcome the opportunity to establish or buy a UK university - Times Higher Education

The game changer I believe in front of us is to find a way to bring tertiary education back into the city, the present CBD plan, in my view, while admirable does not go far enough and could include plans for a “University of Oceania” – Christchurch mayor Bob Parker

Te Ururoa Flavell, MP for Waiariki is challenging politicians to watch the language that they use in public settings. The latest political slip was a statement made by Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Steven Joyce in his response to the claims of the Tertiary Education Union about funding cuts to WelTec. Steven Joyce is reported as saying “They’ve really gone off the reservation today. That’s poor.” – Te Ururoa Flavell

ENDS

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