Editorial: State control takes aim at universities

The independence of universities is a cornerstone of educational standards in this country. That was never more evident than during the 1990s, when the universities managed to check the plans of a Government-appointed Qualifications Authority which would have carved all tertiary education courses into a smorgasbord of mix-and-match occupational skills.

The same Qualifications Authority is determined to replace national examinations in schools with a record of credits for "achievements." Last week we reported that school-leavers would have their credits translated into an average mark, or grade point, after all, when the National Certificate of Educational Achievement is introduced next year. We have universities to thank for that, too. They need an examination grade to filter applicants for some of their courses.

So when universities sense a threat to their autonomy, all who care for educational standards should take notice. Right now the universities are concerned about some of the provisions of a bill before Parliament that would seem to widen the scope for political interference in their affairs.

As largely tax-financed institutions, universities acknowledge a degree of political accountability. Like any recipient of public money, they must regularly satisfy Parliament that they are using it properly and productively. But the Education Amendment (No 2) Bill, introduced last year and now before a select committee, appears to go much further. It would allow the Minister of Education to intervene where there were concerns about the "operation, management or financial position of an institution."

If the words "operation" and "management" refer to something other than the financial position of the university, what might they mean? It is easy to see why the institutions are nervous and are urging the select committee to clarify the terms of the bill.

Another new element in the proposed legislation would allow the minister, if he considers "the operation or long-term viability of the institution is at risk," to appoint a crown observer to a university council. The Government already has the power to appoint four members to the council. What possible purpose might an official "observer" serve that could not be served by well-chosen appointees?

The answer is all too clear in the bill. It declares that the observer "may report to the minister on any matter raised or discussed at any meeting." In plain language, the observer will be a spy. His role would be to give the Government early warning if, for example, the university was contemplating ventures that exposed public money to some risk. The observer would work for the minister, whereas the minister's appointees to the council owe prior allegiance to the university.

But the scope for political interference does not end there. The bill would give the Government the power ultimately to dissolve a council and put a commissioner in its place. Again he can act on concern for those those undefined qualities, "the operation and long-term viability" of the institution. In all of these steps there is nothing in the bill to require warning or consultation and the reasons for appointing a commissioner need be published only after the event.

There has been an insidious centralisation of power under way in public health and education since this Government took office. It has severely cut the autonomy of hospitals and schools. The new health boards have little room to move, while schools have lost bulk-funding and much of their freedom in enrolment policy. This bill is attempt to turn the same screws on the tertiary sector.

Academic freedom and the independence of universities are not mere indulgences of an intellectual elite. They are basic to the quality of education our young people receive and the credibility of their qualifications when they take them out into the world. The choices those young people make now largely determine the direction of public investment in education.

While that system persists, there is no justification for the Government to interfere. It must be stopped.