The temperature soared to 27 degrees today, making meetings and travelling about by car very sticky! Luckily the Waikato campus is leafy with plenty of shade and well supplied with cafes (see the photo - UWE's Core 24 should take note!). Like many UK universities, the construction of new student hubs and building extensions is in progress on campus, although with the current cuts in NZ higher education biting just as deeply as in the UK, these are not uncontroversial.
A very quick summary of the NZ higher education context: there are 8 NZ universities, 15 Institutes of Technology (similar to our old Polytechnics) and a large number of Polytechs (similar to the UK FE College). In order to enter University young people must acquire a University Entrance (UE) qualification and/or Level 3 certificate. Waikato is one of the smaller NZ universities with 10,000 students.
My day began with an 'orientation' meeting with Professor Brian Findsen, Director of Waikato Pathways College. Brian is a Hamilton native, who has worked at Waikato, then in Auckland and in Glasgow and returned to Hamilton a couple of years ago to take up this post. The Pathways Colleges is a research-led academic unit of Waikato University, recently incorporated into the Faculty of Education. Its portfolio combines adult/continuing/community education programmes, international student language support prior to enrolment in Waikato degrees, bridging and 'pathway' programmes (which seem to be an integral part of NZ university provision) and student learning support. Among the bridging and pathway provision are specific progammes for Maori students (Te Timatanga Hou) and among the adult/community programmes are two for older people, one based within the Maori community, the other with Pakeha (Sixty Plus). Recent cuts and caps on student numbers have brought significant reduction in the main bridging programme - Certificate of University Preparation.
A quick skim through the continuing education prospectus reveals a range and number of non-credit bearing short courses including languages, professional development, arts and sciences, that would make many a UK adult educator weep with nostalgia! This form of continuing education seems still to play a valued role in NZ university provision, although vicious cuts are being implemented nationally even as I type and the funding emphasis is being placed on developing literacy and numeracy instead. Sound familiar?!!
One factor which has an obvious impact on the formulation and development of 'widening participation' (not a term generally used here) policy and practice - is the free entry policy - anyone over the age of 20, legally resident in NZ or Australia may enter higher education without any evidence of academic qualifications. This policy is held dear by some I have talked to but regarded as a threat to standards of university education by others. It is currently under threat because of the recently introduced caps on student numbers. The policy inevitably shapes the NZ approach to 'widening access' to higher education. From what I have understood so far, efforts in this area are directed primarily to Maori and Pasifica communities and with good reason as these are under-represented in higher education - in 2007 66% of Asian and 44% of European/Pakeha school leavers achieved a University Entrance qualification or Level 3 certificate, compared with 20% of Pacific and 18% of Maori students.
Small scale interventions were discussed in an unexpected visit today to the Waikato Migrant Centre where I met a range of people involved in running community development and education projects in the city. One was Fatima who has gained funding for a year-long 'Stepping Up To Study' project to support young Somali refugees and migrants in higher education. This project involved mentoring and tutoring young people who were struggling to complete their degree courses. I hope to keep in touch with Fatima to find out how her project succeeds.
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