Tertiary Education and Fees Policies

The Outdoors Party believes that a tertiary education should be quality, fit for purpose, accessible and affordable.

We strongly promote education and life experience and believe support should be widened to offer choices for those who prefer an “education in life”, offering service to the community or environment as alternatives to academic education.

We believe that there are some benefits with paying Uni fees – and certainly New Zealand student’s fees are already highly subsidised.

1) students appreciate their course more and put more effort in knowing that they are committed to their education.

2) students feel empowered to request “value for money” and legitimately complain about poor lecturers or something else wrong in the system. The Outdoors Party believes that students should have more power to make changes to problems and unnecessary obstacles within the tertiary education institution.

3) we differentiate between loans for student fees and student loans for other purposes

We would like to see people start their working life on a positive note, feeling rewarded for their years of hard mahi, not overwhelmed and exhausted.  We will work with the Ministry of Education for the best way to make that happen.

Our policies:

1) The current “first year free” policy should be changed to the “third year free” to encourage students to complete their education.

2) University fees should otherwise apply but until your fees loan is paid off, your tax should pay off your student loan (Rapid Repay) so it’s a substantial tax deduction. This policy would make ALL tertiary education fees tax deductible.

3) University fees should be waived if you commit to work in a field or location that needs more graduates. The Outdoors Party wants to support and reinvigorate our rural communities. 

4) Create a university fee interest amnesty – anyone overseas who has amassed a fees loan over the years – can return, and go into the rapid repay tax deduction mechanism. Interest waived if they stay at least three years.

5) Student loans for other than fees would still need to be repaid but using a low interest rate because the government should empower people to get ahead.

6)  Fund/subsidise student holiday jobs, particularly in the field of study, to reduce  financial stresses, gain work experience and increase future job opportunities. 

New Zealand government should properly fund our universities and should no longer accept funding from foreign governments, or corporations, that might alter the valuable independence that universities require for free speech, excellent independent research, innovations etc.

The Outdoors Party will task the MOE to more closely coordinate student numbers with professional requirements within NZ and better connect academia with training and employment pathways.

We will support the creation of courses that include strategising, thinking, asking better questions, research, courage, resilience and ethics, and how to create change within rigid systems that currently limit our thinking and behaviour and real life experience. We need required courses within professional courses for basic business and employee/employer relationship skills as this can be the difference between success and failure in starting one’s professional career.

We need to start providing high level lecturers on video/streaming so students can 1) return to a lecture to revise in their own time (good for dyslexics) and 2) the university can access lectures from the world’s best teachers/resources.   This would reduce costs, free up lecturers for practical work and tutorials, and allow the university to refine and improve lectures over time, keeping the ones with the best learning outcomes.

We need more post-graduate professional development courses that are flexible and informal encouraging professional graduates to continually update their knowledge (instead of leaving this job to industry).

We want more scholarships to encourage diversity and to make tertiary education accessible for the neuro-diverse. For example, dyslexics almost never qualify for scholarships due to their difficulty with reading and writing, and yet they bring a valuable viewpoint to many professions.  We would like to see more support and understanding for dyslexics/different learning styles to reduce barriers to participation and prevent discrimination.

Many universities are increasing course numbers (Covid may change this) without taking any responsibility for ensuring quality, affordable accommodation. A more holistic coordinated approach is required to decentralise training and ensure adequate student facilities are available. The solution to increasing student numbers is government investment in more university-owned accommodation.  

Tracy Livingston, B. App Science (Osteopathy)

Sue Grey  LLB (Hons), B.Sc