User-pays mooted for professional training

Press, 24 April 1986, Page 7

User-pays mooted for professional training

PA Wellington Education Department and Treasury officials are studying the possibility of having taxpayer-trained professionals pay for their education, says the Minister of Education, Mr Marshall. In an interview with NZPA this week, Mr Marshall said all Government departments had been subject to expenditure review by a Cabinet committee headed by the Minister of Finance, Mr Douglas. The possibility of professionals trained by the State paying for their education at a later stage in

their careers was one issue which the committee had considered. “There was no commitment made to it,” he said. "But the point was made ... in view of the relatively large amount of money invested in training ... there ought to be some exploration of recovering some of that in later years.” Mr Marshall suggested possible implementation of the proposal through a tax system or by repayment of specific course costs. He mentioned the medical profession as one

group which could ,be covered by the proposal. “But the suggestion is not confined to that group. It is looking across the board even at relatively shorter term courses to see whether some recovery should be made.” The issue certainly would not be part of the 1986 Budget. Mr Marshall said he expected the departmental officials to report back to Mr Douglas by the end of the year. “If the matter continues, it will be a matter of extensive discussion before anything happens, if anything happens.”