Universities are going to boot under-performing students out of university to free up places for able students. Universities can’t afford to ‘carry’ the under-performing students.
I’m concerned about the effect this will have for Maori in particular. We struggle to get Maori into university as it is, but now for those who do get there it’s going to be easier to get booted out.
I remember my mate from the coast who spent (at least) nine years getting his law degree. Now I bump in to him at the airport occasionally as he flies around from one high powered meeting to the next.
I’m blowed if I know why he took so long, but he hung in there and now he’s doing really well.
If he’d been booted out because he failed courses then he’d probably be pumping gas in Nowhereville and Maori wouldn’t be benefiting from his services.
He subscribed to the theory if at first you don’t succeed then try and try again.
What are the solutions? I don’t want capable and deserving people to miss out on places at university, but I don’t want people like my mate getting the boot.
The other concern is the threat to automatic entry to people over twenty years of age. This really affects Maori. Many Maori have bad experiences at school and drop out of education. Many often come back later in life, enter university and get qualifications that take them in a new direction.
Is cradle to the grave education under threat?
