Editorial: Education ideas have definite merit

OPINION: Finally, some accountability.

Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce has come out with a couple of ideas recently that are getting some serious nods of approval from the right people.

First up, Mr Joyce – who was effectively called in to troubleshoot the tertiary education sector – announced that student performance would go some way to determining how much funding universities and technical institutes would get.

Bear in mind the students' marks would be only a small part of any funding consideration, up to 10 per cent of all factors that go into any final decision.

Massey University and UCOL bosses have already hinted that there would be no harm in at least trialling the idea. While the Tertiary Education Union has predictably come out against the plan, there is definite merit in the idea.

It will sharpen the focus of organisations like Massey and UCOL and put more incentive into producing quality students who are well-equipped for the next phase of work life or further education. It also puts the onus on the students and lets them know that tertiary education isn't a cruisy gig – and neither should it be.

How refreshing is that? The Government via taxpayers pumps hundreds of millions of dollars into the tertiary sector and now has shown that it wants some bang for its buck and a measurable way of doing that is tying it to student performance.

The other idea that Mr Joyce has made public is the plan to tie student loan downloads to course performance. This gives students, who now live in an interest-free loan era, a bit of a wake-up call when it comes to the reality of getting money from the Government.

With a few years of perspective behind me, I wish something like this was in place when I was a tertiary student. Back then there was a culture of borrowing and worrying about it all later.

This plan will force students to put more thought into whether they want that student loan hanging over them and in some cases whether tertiary study is even the best option for them.

ONE MORE THING

The suggestion of an anti-cruising bylaw for Palmerston North to curb issues around loud and rowdy drivers on late nights has triggered a strong response.

The idea, which has a long way to go before it actually gets signed off, has kept our Text The Editor line beeping away with messages.

There's a real mix of thoughts, with opponents saying loud cars at night are something that people will always have to put up with. There are also some who think the bylaw is good, but it's a matter for police to keep tabs on.

We will watch this evolving debate with interest. As usual, we'd love to hear your thoughts on this or any other matter. So drop us a line, comment below,  email us or send a text message.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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