by David Clendon
I’ve been very alarmed to hear murmurings that John Key’s government may remove the long-standing “second chance” policy of open access to tertiary education for anyone over 20.
As I noted in this video, I’m someone who has benefited directly from this policy. I left school at age 15, wrongly believing that the education system had nothing to offer me.
It wasn’t until I was closer to 30 that I decided to give formal education a second try. My initial entry point to higher education was night classes – also cut by this Government! – and then a programme called New Start which offered adult learners a pathway into tertiary education.
I enrolled in a BA, and seven years later I had two degrees and launched a 15 year academic career. Now I’m an MP – and so is Metiria, who has a similar story.
Frankly I’m appalled that this Government would even consider axing this wonderful, egalitarian provision that provides so many of us with a second chance for learning. It hardly seems like a smart way to boost employment and opportunities.
How many frogblog readers have similar stories to mine? Please share them in the comments!
Published in Environment & Resource Management by David Clendon on Tue, March 2nd, 2010
More posts by David Clendon | more about David Clendon
on the trolls and those who are unable to keep on topic
You don’t think there should be ANY standard for over 20s to enrol at a tertiary institution?!
Hypothetically wow would one justify bringing this unconditional(?) policy in if it had never existed?
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Perhaps the Govt will frame this as a necessary move to cut costs? This would highlight their myopia and uni-dimensional thinking.
On the one hand they are framing the need to mine National Parks on the basis of Australia envy (mining our natural capital) and on the other they are undermining NZers access to education (eroding our social capital).
Perhaps the NAct’s are really parasitic nation sucking zombies, out to turn NZ into a tailings dump full of unemployed former miners?
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I wish I had waited until I was older to study. I’m far more focussed and aware of what real work is, now.
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rimu – would you go to university now, if you hadn’t before?
What for?
What can you learn there that is genuinely useful in the present situation?
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No I wouldn’t go now, but that’s because programming is quite practical and I can learn it from the internet. Studying computers at university is a waste of time, at any age (except perhaps for those who will become computer scientists, who are another breed altogether).
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Thanks rimu – I thought as much. I too, would not go.
There’s too much to do on the outside.
How useful, may I ask, is programming (to humans in the position we now occupy – economic, political and environmental storms approaching and all that biz. Shouldn’t you be learning how to make chairs from willow withies or something)?
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Yes, I should be diversifying! I’ve been growing food for the last two summers, although cuts to ACE are stunting my welding and electrical plans somewhat…
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You’re a multi-talented tree!
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hmm. David wouldn’t your New Start programme have counted as criteria for university entrance regardless of age? i’m first year at Victoria Uni and have some mates who are doing what i assume is a similar course, because they didn’t get UE and don’t want to wait till they’re 20 nor go back to school. For that matter, friends I know who have gone back to education after dropping out of high school all took either a bridging course at Uni or went back to high school prior to starting as an undergraduate, and it seems to have worked for them. perhaps i’m wrong and “the real world” already gives people these skills? but if this was the case surely they could get in on discretionary entrance?
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I do not see the problem with this action if it becomes more than just a rumour provided the correct steps are taken. An entry exam for instance would be perfectly fine to make sure that the people whatever age they are who are enrolling for university have the required literacy skills to be able to take the courses. If you rock up to university you have to be expected to write at least essays of 1500 words or more in the BA departments though I couldn’t comment on any other area though certainly similar rules could be accommodating there as well.
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Excuse me – still learning – being over 20 is the sole criteria for access to uni.? There’s no gateway.. like an exam.. or language proficiency etc.?
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Oh yeah…forgot about the bridging courses..
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(NCEA has been in development since 1985 or so, to change that short-sighted 1950′s educational goal)
Because this was not explained to the hapless students, people of varying abilities were ‘failed’ at age 15 (like Dave Clendon).
In the mid-eighties, it was realised that a lot of people without jobs were bright enough to do university, we (not the royal one, the Department of Education one) just didn’t need to let them know they’d been needlessly failed.
Chug, chug, there goes the increase in mature students from then – I took language papers with a whole raft of grannies who were the original Kohanga Reo teachers, going through in 1988 or so.
Most of my undergrad degree was done straight from school, in the 80′s, so when I went back to complete it there weren’t any hoops I had to fly through, as I’d proven competancy.
There are currently programs like CUP (Certificate of University Proficiency) to matriculate those who haven’t studied in a long time, and have no other formal qualifications.
A lot of the current crop are getting pinged for less-than-ideal level 3 NCEA marks, and made to do transition programmes for a semester – unreasonable, by my estimation, since in our day we matriculated on UE in 6th form & could go to uni straight away if desired; most stayed on to do bursary & schol exams, for better remuneration on STB.
[Unless, like my ex-brother-in-law, you were expelled from your posh private school for being publicly drunk in uniform while celebrating UE accrediting.... not an uncommon occurrance, I understand...]
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Very, very fearful
They would never have used this as an election vote grabber.
THe majority of New Zealander’s are over 30. Lets hope the public will make their feelings well and truly known over this fascist move against the masses bettering themselves.
Makes you wonder where they get these ideas from. London would be a good bet. This is what happens in education in England.
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Woohoo FASCISM!!
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David Clendon is making false assumptions, that availability to an adult university education he enjoyed would be axed by the government.
All it is is a common sense entry test. It would stop some people wasting their time, their money (paying back a student loan), and taxpayers money (loan interest and course costs).
If someone like David can gain two degrees, then obviously a basic entry test would not be the barrier to adult education he seems to claim it will be.
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wikiriwhi wonders,
“where they get these ideas from”
Some Lord or other, I suppose…
http://whoar.co.nz/2010/john-keys-special-friendlord-ashcroftis-in-a-bit-of-tax-strifelord-ashcrofts-secret-tax-deal-saved-him-millions/
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To prove you can work at that level you enter Uni as over 20, sit a few papers related to the degree you want to do, pass, and then apply for the degree you want, and cross credit the papers over. (This is called a Certificate in Uni Prep)
That is the way it worked for me and now I’m in my first year.
I am in my 30′s. I’ve thought long and hard about what I want to do and its not a snap decision. I’ve done two papers and know I’ve made the right choice.
Older students are not the ones who typically muck around. They usually have their head screwed on, know what they want to do, and work hard thankful that they have the chance. They don’t take it for granted. Some have families, some just want to get ahead, some could be trades people wanting to do some business papers in order to open their own business in the trade they are qualified in.
If they take away automatic entry, what way is there to prove you can work at that level and get ahead?
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Fortunately, I am currently on the tail end of a bachelors and hoping to begin another degree at uni next year.
I’m doing a level 3 IT course for 6 months to fill in time then finish the degree in November.
I think I got myself a step ahead of the National govt who obviously feel no loyalty to to socialist filled tertiary providers.
Bit strange when you consider Key is a Keynesian socialist.
I don’t think his ideology is much different from Helen’s.
He did sleep with her behind his parties back on the anti smacking law.
And yes Greenfly, a lord did visit Key for a few hours before the last election then immediately flew back to England.
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And the two haven’t been in touch since …?
Lordy!
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key’s a keynsenian?? he actually has ideologies?? here i was thinking he was just doing what people told him too…
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David has made a facebook group for those who are into that http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&ref=mf&gid=10150094294335427
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I have to say that I was a mature student in the UK and to gain entrance into University I had to do an “Access to Higher Education” Course. This certainly prepared me for University expectations, just a shame the school leavers weren’t prepared the same way!
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Good point Falkor. I (and a LOT of others) seemed to have missed something in the transition from high school to university. Not many were well prepared.
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To eliminate adult education @ tertiary level is pathetic. Cutting back on tertiary cost to place capital in other ares which benefit who?? Claiming to focus on the less 20yr olds, pathetic excuse. To grandiose the new focus is typical manipulation from neoliberalism.
Increase the unemployment rate, national think thats excellent! of course it is, its cheaper to have them on the unemployment rate than at university. ***###$$$
But don’t cut back the high income earners approved by national. CEO’s getting paid ***&&###.
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Now the govt’s saying Parents have to pay more for Kindergartens.
The education sector is being attacked right through.
It’s obvious older graduates are not going to find employment even with quals. Bizarrely, employers want exp, but the govt only wants to educate the inexperienced.
Obviously, the job market is going to be thrown open to the under 25′s. Employment criteria paradigms are going to adjust for them and everyone else can suffer.
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Everyone deserves a second chance – we pressure young people to make decisions early in life when we’re still learning what we want for ourself. It’s sad that the scheme may be taken away – it’s not the politicians that’ll be affected…
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