Fear of Govt interference

Press, 28 September 1988, Page 2

Fear of Govt interference

PA Wellington The spectre of direct political interference will hang over universities if the proposals in the Hawke report are implemented, university groups are warning.

The Association of University Teachers said that although the report talked of devolving more responsibilities to individual institutions, it recommended increased central control in the appointment of councils to run institutions. "At present none of the 24 council members is appointed by the Government direct, yet Professor Hawke suggests reducing the number of members to 12 with the possibility of eieht Ministerial ap-

pointees, albeit following a process of consultation,” said the association president, Dr Neil Macgregor. This left the universities open to the possibility of direct political control if they stepped out of line to criticise the Government of the dav. The Vice-Chancellors’ Committee also criticised the report as having the potential to “seriously damage” the unique role of universities. “Academic freedom is

essential to universities but could be threatened by the Ministry of Education being empowered to approve the charters under which universities will operate,” said the chairman, Dr Wilf Malcolm. Universities now were autonomous institutions accountable to their individual councils and to the Government through a separately constituted body, the University Grants Committee.