Minister assures university funding

Press, 13 May 1981, Page 6

Minister assures university funding

PA Hamilton The Minister of education (Mr Wellington) yesterday assured universities that they would remain autonomous, retain open entry for students. and continue to get big sums of Government money tor a worth-while return.

Speaking to the opening session of the “Universities Into The 21st Century" conference in Hamilton, he rejected the assumption that the Government s latest fiveyear block grant to universities showed a lessening commitment to them.

Mr Wellington also sounded a warning to universities about the financial hardships facing them in the future.

“Priorities have to be established.” he said.

“Requests for new works must be much more fully documented and substantiated than was the case in the

past. There must be more open accountability," Mr Wellington said. The current grant set aside $640.3 million for university funding, apart from $23 million per year for capital works and $3O million for student support schemes. The University Grants Committee had also been told it could go back to the Government to meet increased costs caused by inflation. Mr Wellington said.

The Government would do its part to provide an appropriate share of funds needed to meet what universities saw as their requirements into the next century. It was also absolutely committed to the principle of open entry for students to university which was "sacrosanct to our educational philosophies."

The university system was in partnership with the

Government, but was more distant than other sections of the education system because of the autonomy it had. There was no intention to lessen that autonomy, he said. .. . Mr Wellington said that the system of funding and administering universities was designed to reconcile legitimate claims with the need for balanced development and reasonable financial control. The system worked well, and there was no suggestion that it would be changed.

"The Government is prepared to entrust large amounts of public money to universities in the expectation that it will get a worthwhile return.”

The cliche that universities got large sums of public money overlooked the return for it. particularly through research, he said.