No changes to tertiary equity funding: Govt

The Government has ended weeks of rumours and uncertainty by stating that it has no plans to cut equity funding which supports Maori and Pacific tertiary students and students with disabilities.

The funding is intended to help tertiary institutions improve equity of access and achievement for Maori and Pacific students and students with disabilities.

However, some advocates for tertiary students with disabilities remain concerned with what they see as the lack of a consistent and holistic Government policy.

They warn that forms of indirect discrimination could result from a series of seemingly isolated policy changes, including last year's ending of the training incentive allowance for people on the invalid's benefit.

There are also concerns that Government suggestions of tightening up on loan scheme eligibility for students who fail too many papers, and a focus on full-time rather than part-time study, could adversely affect students with disabilities.

Approached to clarify the equity funding, a spokeswoman at the office of Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce said the Government "has no plans to change equity funding, which includes funding for students with disabilities".

The Tertiary Education Union (TEU) has stated on its internet site that "concerns about the Tertiary Education Commission's equity funding programme continue to grow".

TEU staff had several times written to the minister's office in February and early this month about the issue but had had no reply, and TEU president Dr Tom Ryan said there were growing rumours that the equity programme "now faces the knife, despite its proven record of success".

CCS Disability Action Otago patron Donna-Rose McKay said the Government statement on equity funding was "good news" but she remained concerned about other aspects of policy involving tertiary students with impairments.

Whatever changes were coming, it was important to ensure that they did not have the cumulative effect of direct or indirect discrimination against students with impairments.

Some individual policy decisions, such as the cutting of the training incentive allowance, seemed to be at odds with Government aims to move more disabled people off benefits and into training and education.

"Most people on invalid's benefits or sickness benefits would love to be in meaningful employment, to be independent financially," she said.

Many people with disabilities were "really concerned" about what future policy changes could mean for them, she said.

TEU communications and campaigns officer Stephen Day said the Government statement on equity funding was "excellent".

However, there were concerns that Maori and Pacific students, students with disabilities and student mothers with young children could be disadvantaged by an emphasis on higher pass rates and moving funds away from introductory foundation studies programmes, he said.