Tertiary Update Vol 13 No 1

A Department of Labour report,” Māori in the New Zealand Labour Market, shows that there has been a strong growth of Māori employed in education, including tertiary education, over the last five years. However there are likely to be job losses for Māori education workers in the upcoming eight years.

The recently released report provides a detailed examination of Māori in the labour market including educational, employment, unemployment and population trends. It also seeks to capture the impact of the current economic downturn on the Māori labour market.” 

Between 2004 and 2009 the number of Māori employed in education increased from 19,800 to over 22,000, an increase of 12 percent – slightly higher than the 11 percent rate of increase for non-Māori in working in education over the same period.

However, the department forecasts that the outlook is less positive for Māori education workers, with the number employed likely to fall by an average of 0.6 percent per year until 2018. That would equate to more than 130 Māori education workers losing their job each year until 2018.

The report also notes that the total median hourly earning for Māori workers in all jobs has failed to grow as fast as it has for non-Māori workers.”  In 2004 Māori were paid an average of $1.50 less per hour than non-Māori workers.”  Last year that gap had increased to $2 per hour. Māori women’s median hourly earnings from wages and salaries were $16.43, compared with $18.22 for all women. For Māori men, median hourly earnings were $18.31, compared with $20.53 for all men.” 

Also in” Tertiary Update“ this week

1. ITP MECA dispute enters new year
2. UNESCO calls for renewed effort on Education For All
3. Massey, Canterbury and Otago to exclude more students
4. Aoraki Polytechnic buys PTEs
5. US colleges feel pinch despite federal money

Other news

1. Plans by a United States university to open a” physiotherapy school in Queenstown“ which could initially cater for 25 students have been placed on hold -” The Otago Daily Times
2. At least 80 universities in Britain may” abandon postgraduate research“ as funding is concentrated on centres of global excellence -” The Australian
3. Universities Australia has warned this year’s” big expansion of places is unsustainable“ and the sector will face a challenge to maintain quality and expand unless backed by additional teaching and infrastructure money -” The Australian
4. Humanities departments in former polytechnics should” bear the brunt of funding cuts“ to higher education in Britain, the House of Lords heard this week -” Times Higher Education

TEU Tertiary Update is published weekly on Thursdays and distributed freely to members of the Tertiary Education Union and others. You can subscribe to Tertiary Update by email or feed reader. Back issues are available on the TEU website. Direct inquiries should be made to Stephen Day, email: http://scr.im/stephenday