New Zealand Executive Government Speech Archive

Chancellor Hon Justice Williams, Vice Chancellor Dr James McWha, Principal Professor Ian Watson, students, guests, ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you for the very appropriate welcome to this very splendid new campus.

The campus is not only new it also reflects a boldness of vision that is most welcome.

Only a few years back the thought of Massey establishing a new campus at Albany would have been laughed at.

Today it is a reality and that reality reflects a new vitality in the delivery of tertiary education.

The progress since the campus opened in 1993 has been remarkable.

The challenge was to meet growing national and international demand for the University's courses.

Those who guided the development aimed to create an education network that would link Massey with, not only our country's largest population area, but also the centres of learning throughout Asia and the Pacific.

I hear Professor Watson has said it is particularly apt that I have been invited to open this Quadrangle Building.

He has pointed out that I have a firm belief in the importance of education and a personal commitment to an international perspective in the shaping of New Zealand's future.

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I thank the Principal for his remarks and award him a good pass mark for accuracy.

I have no doubt that knowledge will be the defining characteristic of successful societies and successful nations in the 21st century.

The marshalling of knowledge will be far more important in terms of progress than the exploitation of physical resources.

That means that a small country like New Zealand can be, in fact should be, just as successful as a large country.

Believing that, it is easy to understand why my Government shares with you a commitment to academic excellence that is able to withstand rigorous scrutiny from anywhere in the world.

The programmes on offer at this campus are attracting students from some of the most competitive countries in the world.

They are not coming here because of the park-like surroundings and relaxed ambience, they are coming here because the courses and standards of teaching on offer are as good or better than any in the region.

And I am here this morning to help celebrate this achievement and to urge you to commit yourselves early to ensuring this campus goes from strength to strength in the years ahead.

Perhaps the greatest challenge we face will be to meet our own rapidly rising expectations.

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That can be a powerful force for good if it can find productive expression.

One such outlet is in the pursuit of excellence through higher education and training.

That is happening in a momentous way.

Since 1990 when I became Prime Minister the number of students participating in tertiary education has significantly increased - it is up by 50 per cent.

To be precise, the total number of tertiary students has increased from 141,456 in 1990 to 212,068 in 1995.

We have already budgeted to further increase the number of government-funded places in tertiary education by a further 17,700 between 1996 and 1999.

And I acknowledge the probability that before then we will have to fund even bigger increases.

Such predictions cause furrows on the brows of Finance Ministers and more importantly underscore the importance of a strong economy to meet the greatly increased demands for funds from the education sector and elsewhere.

Today the nation has an economic vitality reflected in its growth rate that has never really been equalled in our relatively short history.

Growth and development are now driven by commonsense, innovative enterprises and widened horizons, not by Government regulation or dictation.

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Despite considerable success in recent years there is still considerable pressure on the Government's budget as we have to repay the massive debts accumulated in earlier years.

In the next two to three years the most difficult part of the debt repayment programme will be behind us, which is why I am confident that with continued sound management of the economy we will be able to meet the demands of strong growth in education.

There is an election in six weeks time and in the lead up some political parties have claimed that first year student numbers are now dropping. I am told they are wrong.

Student numbers this year have not fallen.

They have in fact risen overall by two per cent from '95 to '96 in spite of the fact that last year saw the smallest number of school leavers that we have seen for four years.

At the moment students are exercising their right to protest at student fees and student loans.

That's fine, protest has always been an integral part of university life.

In my view there can be little debate that there is both public and private benefit in tertiary education - the public through an improved future for the country as a whole, and private benefit in both the satisfaction of being well educated and in enhanced individual earning ability.

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International and domestic research shows that those with degrees generally do enjoy a significantly higher lifetime earning capacity compared to those without degrees.

There will always be debate as to what proportion of fees should be paid by students.

In 1994 we put that question to the Todd Consultative Group on Funding Growth in Tertiary Education.

They recommended the costs be split either 50-50 or the state pay 75 per cent and the student 25 per cent.

The Government considered the issue carefully and decided to accept the softer option of 75/25 split.

The estimate of the current level of taxpayer contribution to the cost of tuition over the nation as a whole is 78 per cent.

The student loan scheme is another relatively new innovation.

It has the clear objective of allowing students to, if necessary, borrow to pay their fees and to repay when they earn a worthwhile wage.

There are various concessions in the scheme to try and make it fair for everyone.

Inevitably experience with the scheme will suggest further refinements to make sure it meets its original objectives.

Another factor is student allowances.

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This year the allowances have enabled almost 50,000 students from low-income families to take up further education.

Another element that impacts on costs to students is the efficiency of the institution they study at.

Accountability and cost-effectiveness is an on-going issue.

All tertiary institutions are autonomous and independent under the 1989 Education Act.

The Government spends over $1.7 billion on tuition subsidies, and Polytechnics and Universities set their own fees.

That's 36 per cent of all education spending and an overall increase of 34 per cent since 1990.

Students have much to gain from the efficient management of the tertiary institution they study at.

Like any other field of endeavour there will always be critics of tertiary education, tertiary institutions and the students themselves.

My message is different.

I'm proud of what has been achieved in the last six years. It's good news.

Minority group participation in tertiary education has increased significantly.

The number of Maori students is up by 158 per cent, and Pacific Island peoples by 119 per cent between 1990 and 1995.

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The Graduate Employment survey of 1995 showed that the number of graduates in New Zealand has doubled since 1986.

More of them are finding jobs, and they are earning more. That's how it should be.

That is why my Government is committed to quality education for all New Zealanders.

But it doesn't stop there.

The lifetime's work of students studying at campuses like Albany will be what pushes out the boundaries of knowledge, that will help find answers to issues as diverse as global warming or the cure of cancer, or something much less spectacular but still important.

It can truly be said that the opportunities offered this generation and beyond have never been greater.

I wish good fortune to all who work and study at Albany.

May your achievements give you satisfaction and may the knowledge you gain lead to fulfilling lives.

It is now my great pleasure to declare this fine Quadrangle building open.

Ends