Archive for the ‘Quality Assurance’ Category

The Bologna Process is an EU initiative that is basically designed to align degree structures across the EU (and the wider world – NZ’s relationship is covered here). The EU is running a Ministerial Anniversary Conference in Vienna this week “to honour and to assess the achievements of common action and its contribution to enhancing [...]

Lincoln University and Telford Rural Polytechnic are considering merging in 2011, according to an ODT story today. Telford spokespeople have referred to cuts in funding for short courses as a driver, along with the potential for lower running costs. The two institutions both operate in the primary sector but run complementary courses.
Tertiary reforms

Steven Joyce and [...]

Steven Joyce, Minister of Tertiary Education, made announcements yesterday that tertiary tuition funding will be linked to performance (5-10% will be at risk), confirmed decisions about the targeted review of qualifications and repeated recent musings about limiting student loan access. He also made his first major speech. I commented yesterday on announcements. Reaction to the Minister has been swift!

The [...]

Steven Joyce, Minister of Tertiary Education, has made announcements today that tertiary tuition funding will be linked to performance and confirmed decisions about the targeted review of qualifications. More importantly, he made a big speech.
The Speech
Joyce’s speech gives a clear sense of where he is coming from and how he will operate – that’s important [...]

The NZ Herald waded into tertiary education today, supporting Steven Joyce’s suggestion to limit student loans according to academic performance and the University of Auckland’s proposal to limit university access as well (and use extra money to increase subsidies). There was a related Radio NZ discussion on this last week that covered NZQA’s upcoming review of university [...]

Waynne Smith’s post on ITO issues yesterday raised some good issues and so have the comments – check it out if you haven’t already.

CRI Taskforce A big report was released yesterday reviewing Crown Research Institutes. Responses have come from the NZVCC and Science NZ. I was surprised to see the NZVCC so conciliatory, given that the report proposes [...]

There were lots of news stories on Saturday, so check them out if you haven’t already. Comments on the stories below or any issues of the day are welcome.

Labour is continuing to argue with National over student loans. Grant Robertson’s post title on Red Alert over the weekend was that Steven Joyce was perpetuating myths on [...]

David Choat is the third blogger to join ED Blog. He is profiled here.
University of Canterbury Vice-Chancellor Rod Carr has a challenging article in yesterday’s Press (not online, but UC sent us a copy, where he questions the continuation of New Zealand’s distinctive policy of open entry to universities for adult students.
I thought it might [...]

The TEC doesn’t know how tertiary enrolments are looking, or so said Roy Sharp to the Education and Science Committee yesterday. Since TEC’s investment managers will have been contacting all of the bigger providers, I’m sure Roy does have some good indications of enrolments, but obviously he wasn’t asked the right questions (or they weren’t [...]

The Midwifery Council has led an intriguing change process in recent times, culminating in several providers changing their degrees and a university dropping out of the market. What other industry group is wielding so much power?
As you might be aware, midwives are in shortage in many parts of the country, and the Midwifery Council (MC) [...]


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  • Industry groups support tertiary funding change March 11, 2010
    Employment organisations say a change to funding tertiary insitutions party on student performace will result in a better qualified workforce. […]
  • Tertiary cuts starting to bite March 11, 2010
    Telford Rural Polytechnic is considering merging with Canterbury's Lincoln University, as the tertiary shake-up and funding cuts squeeze the Balclutha institution. […]
  • Joyce moves to soothe Maori Party March 11, 2010
    Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce has headed off a row with the Maori Party over planned changes to higher education. Party co-leader Pita Sharples had said he feared wananga courses would be axed. […]
  • Tertiary education set to receive shake up March 11, 2010
    Source: Close Up Watch (1) Source: Close UpLabour Party's Education spokeswoman Maryan Street WATCH the video (7:08) Slacking students, nonsense courses and student loans are all in the government's sights as the new Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce makes his mark. […]
  • Moa DNA successfully isolated March 11, 2010
    An international team of researchers, including University of Otago archaeologists Chris Jacomb and Richard Walter, has successfully isolated ancient Moa DNA. […]
  • Minister Will Pay For Roads But Not Education March 11, 2010
    Yesterday Steven Joyce, the minister of tertiary education said that he was "acutely aware of how important better educational outcomes for our young people are to strengthening our economy for the future" but then went on to say "it is highly unlikely that there will be any significant cash injections in... […]
  • Science New Zealand congratulates prizewinners March 11, 2010
    Science New Zealand congratulates winners of the inaugural Prime Minister’s Science Prizes Science New Zealand congratulates the winners of the first-ever Prime Minister’s Science Prizes – the Science Prize, Emerging Scientist’s Prize, Science Teacher’s Prize, the Science Media Communications Prize, and the.. […]
  • Education cuts will refocus on efficiency March 11, 2010
    A $25 million budget cut to the Ministry of Education will lead to redundancies and a greater need to focus on efficiency, Education Minister Anne Tolley announced today. […]
  • Top Award For NorthTec Design Student March 11, 2010
    NorthTec student is inaugural Ellerslie International Flower Show Student Designer of the Year NorthTec student Katie Hilford has been named Ellerslie International Flower Show Student Designer of the Year presented by Yates. […]
  • Dunedin teen parents don't have Turia's support March 11, 2010
    Why don’t Dunedin’s teen parents have your support Tariana? Dunedin South Labour MP Clare Curran today accused Associate Social Development Minister Tariana Turia of hypocrisy and a lack of consistency in supporting a North Island teen parenting programme, while not supporting the sole Dunedin programme... […]
  • No plans to cut courses - Joyce March 11, 2010
    A review of New Zealand's 6000 qualifications is likely to see courses change to fit a national qualification but there are no plans to slash the number on offer, Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce says. […]
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