Lower education standards feared

Press, 26 May 1979, Page 22

Lower education standards feared

A lowering in the standard of tertiary education was a major implication of the S3M cut in the Government grant to universities, said the chairman of the Lincoln College branch of the Association of University Teachers (Dr R. J. Field). The cut to the grant for administering New Zealand’s six universities for the rest of the year was anounced by the Minister of Education (Mr Wellington) t.o a meeting of the Vice-Chancellors Committee in Wellington. Dr Field said the reduced funding could lead to an increasingly unfavourable staff-student ratio. Staff would have to teach larger classes. This would impair the efficiency of staff and the teaching process, he said. The possibility of restricted entry to universities was another implication of the move, said Dr Field. New Zealand traditionally had an open entry system, and restricted entry would be undesirable. Reduced funding for re-

search at Lincoln College could have long-term implications for New Zealand agriculture and horticulture. .Mr Wellington’s comments that universities would be looking to savings on electricity were “unrealistic” as the cost of power and coal had recently risen, said Dr Field. Lincoln College accepted that ’it must share the effects of reduced Government expenditure, but it would be concerned if the reduction had to be earned into the new five-year university grant period, which began in 1980, said the college principal (Professor J. D. Stewart). The college had little opportunity to redeploy existing staff, and the effect of substantial cuts would be that necessary appointments in several important areas, such as the new course in property management and valuation established this year, could not be made. New developments in animal science research, and horticultural research, could also be affected.

Professor Stewart said the college was also concerned about its ability to maintain its teaching and research equipment, much of which had been bought during the expansion period of the early 19705, or earlier. This was now due for overhaul, or in some cases replacement. At present, the college saw no difficulty in providing the existing services to farmers, such as the farm advisory service, the farm property management service, and advice to farmers by members of the college staff. The chairman of the University of Canterbury branch of the Association of University Teachers (Dr R. F. C. Claridge) said the cuts were "very serious.”

Many people at Canterbury University were working on research projects important to the energy field. If research funding was cut, they would not be able to produce immediate results, or the students who would become scientists of the future.