Insights for change in tertiary education

Insights for change in tertiary education

The Productivity Commission’s draft report on barriers to innovation in the tertiary education system deserves to be debated, says BusinessNZ.

The Commission’s report New Models of Tertiary Education describes the tertiary system as being too prescriptive, unresponsive to student needs and suffering from inertia.

It recommends significant changes to achieve more value for students, less focus on input measures and more on student outcomes, specific standards for teacher performance, and new quality control approaches to encourage agility, innovation and quality.

Funding changes recommended include removing the government’s guarantee of creditors of tertiary education institutions, giving institutions more power to borrow, and acquire or dispose of assets, and requiring them to pay rates, to encourage more efficient use of land and assets and increase the ability to innovate. The Commission recommends changing the Student Loan Scheme to charge interest to cover the government’s costs.

Other recommendations would give more powers to tertiary organisations, including becoming self-accredited and allowing them to set their own fees and their own entrance requirements.

The Commission recommends a student ombudsman, and recommends consolidating the array of information about study and career options for better careers guidance.
The Commission suggests a Student Education Account for all learners - around $45,000 - which could be spent by a student at any stage of their life on approved courses of study, and is seeking feedback on this idea.

BusinessNZ Chief Executive Kirk Hope said the report offered a useful contribution to help with thinking about ways tertiary education can deliver skills to ensure business and the communities they operate in can grow and remain vibrant in the future.

BusinessNZ will make a detailed submission on the Productivity Commission’s recommendations.

ENDS

© Scoop Media