Tertiary subjects get the chop

Theology and hairdressing are the first casualties of government cuts to subjects where it believes there are too many tertiary students.

This year the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) is subsidising 107 fewer theology students and 124 fewer hairdressers in the private education sector - saving $1.8 million.

Education leaders say the reduction is a first; the Tertiary Education Commission usually negotiates funding changes with individual institutions rather than making an across-the-board cut to particular subjects.

Christine Clark, Chairperson of the Independent Tertiary Education New Zealand (ITENZ), which represents more than 300 private providers, said the cut was not fair because it had been applied only to the private sector.

“When they've only affected the private providers and haven't carried it through to the polytechnics, you have to actually ask why. If there's too many people, there's too many people.”

But the Tertiary Education Commission's Gus Gilmore said polytechnics had already reduced their hairdressing student numbers, and do not teach theology.

Michael Hanson, chairperson of the Christian Theological Ministry Education Society, which represents theology teachers, said the cut hurt and some providers have even gone out of business.

“Talking more broadly around the sector, I know that some of the smaller providers, particularly, have had all of their funding removed, so, yeah, it's had quite a major effect on the entire sector.”

President of the Tertiary Education Union, Sandra Grey, said the cuts were a new approach from the commission and she warned that they needed to be carefully thought out so they did not lead to shortages in the future.