Joyce moves to soothe Maori Party

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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.

Mr Joyce had to smooth ruffled feathers in National's support partner yesterday after Dr Sharples, who is associate education minister, said he had not been consulted.

Dr Sharples said he had grave fears the plans, which include cutting the number of qualifications and reducing funding to courses with high failure and non-completion rates, would be unfair to wananga and hit Maori hardest.

"This totally affects Maori getting back to school. We need those early, if you like, student learning centres ... that they can gain the skills to go on further, and what frightens me very much is that those programmes will be phased out a bit," he told Radio NZ.

He said he had not been briefed on the changes before they were announced – an apparent breach of the confidence and supply agreement with National, which requires the Maori Party to be consulted on policy issues.

Mr Joyce said he had discussed the broad outline of the changes with Dr Sharples before announcing them, but agreed it was not a full consultation. He gave more details to Dr Sharples yesterday, and said he was "comfortable" with what the Government planned.

"What we're targeting is exactly what everybody wants, which is greater course completions. Pita and the Maori Party agree with that."

Mr Joyce also moved to assure tertiary providers that the Government was not looking for wholesale cuts to courses. It plans to reduce the more than 6000 qualifications on the books by a quarter this year.

Mr Joyce has cited the example of the 123 certificates and diplomas for tourism studies as one area qualifications could be streamlined.

Labour's Maryan Street launched a fresh attack on plans to base some course funding on pass rates, saying it would be a disaster for pupils at low-decile schools, Maori and Pacific Island pupils and those seeking a second chance at education.