Homesick N.Z. Staff ‘Would Return’

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31984, 10 May 1969, Page 48

Homesick N.Z. Staff ‘Would Return’

("New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, May 9.

A New Zealand university professor who returned home from Cambridge University today said he was amazed at the number of New Zealanders in universities overseas who were homesick.

These New Zealanders would return if salary and research conditions were adequate, said Professor K. Sinclair, professor of history at

Auckland University. The Minister of Finance (Mr Muldoon) did not know what he was talking about on the brain drain.

“At 11 universities I lectured or spoke at I was surprised at the number of New Zealanders on the staffs,” he said. “At both Oxford and Cambridge there were about 25 on the staff as dons.” Almost every country, except Australia, was ahead of New Zealand on educational expenditure. Many people thought New Zealand spent an enormous sum on education and social welfare. This was not so.

“I think education is more of an issue in other countries than it has ever been before," he said. “We need changes here to such developments as community colleges, which 1 have lectured at in California.” A student could go to a community college if his qualifications were not high enough for a university, but if he later proved himself he could still go to university.