NZ Govt to Reform Tertiary Funding

The government has decided to step in and prevent universities and colleges from cramming in students into tiny lecture halls by offering them incentives to improve the quality of their course delivery.
   
The government has decided to that it is time for a real shakeup of the tertiary sector so that it is more productive and quality oriented. The Cullen Plan as proposed by its' architect, the Tertiary Education Minister Michael Cullen, seeks to examine the future directions for tertiary sector funding. Cullen said that the aim was to create a system which produced quality graduate outcomes.
   
"Funding will no longer solely driven by what students decide to enrol in. Rather we are moving towards a system driven more by outcomes we need so that the government can achieve its' social and economic policies", he said.
   
This attempt at tertiary funding reform is perceived by many as a push towards imposing quality contol mechanisms on tertiary education providers and a move away from funding low quality courses which deliver little positive outcomes. The move is towards areas which satisfy New Zealand's needs as part of the government's strategic policy.
   
At present, tertiary institutions receive funding based on student enrolment numbers but the vast reality is that the majority of students do not complete or fail their courses. As such, the government wants to move away from this policy to which rewards performance.