Rural tertiary education threatened

Waimarino Bulletin, Issue 7, 2 September 1988, Page 3

Rural tertiary education threatened

Agricultural training in the Wanganui district is under threat through cuts in Government funding.

That is according to Wanganui Regional Community College representative for the W aimarino and Waiouru, Mr Andrew Cornwall. Last week he asked the Waimarino District Council for support in a campaign to to retain funding for agricultural courses in the area. He told the council that Flock house was virtually closed due to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries completely withdrawing its funding of courses. He said the Department of Education would not pick up this funding. Mr Cornwall said MAFTECH have now decided that education is not their role and they are using the funds elsewhere. He said the WRCC planned to replace

some of the courses. The college has one salary available and hoped to employ an ex Flock House tutor to run two full time agricultural courses. Mr Cornwall said the college has been concerned that the dollars available for rural education work has been systematically cut and that the resulting lack of tertiary education is disadvantaging rural areas "to a major degree". He said there were "bureaucratic rules" which didn't permit certain courses to be run in provincial polytechnics. He said the rules mean courses must be run where jobs are available as none are presently available in Wanganui. This situation sees the community col-

lege's superior facilities lying idle because o f lack of funding. Wanganui Regional Community College has facilities which are the envy of many commercial operators let alone educational establishments.

Waimarino District councillors agreed to support the college by expressing its concern to Phil Goff, Associate Minister of Education, at the withdrawal of tertiary institute funding, as it affects rural areas. Also to be sup-

ported by the councillors is the establishment of funding for agricultural courses at the community college. Mr Cornwall said the college was appealing to all the area's local authorities for support in the campaign.