Victory for student choice: Treaty course no longer mandatory

ACT’s Tertiary Education spokesperson Dr Parmjeet Parmar is celebrating the University of Auckland's council vote tonight to make the Waipapa Taumata Rau course optional. ACT is now calling on the University council to compensate students affected.

“This is an enormous win for student choice," says Dr Parmar. "I would like to congratulate the students who stood up against academic compulsion and sent University leadership a clear message that their time and money deserves respect.

"The compulsory nature of this course was always about pushing Treaty ideology onto students, with no regard for their interests. Students told ACT the paper was politically one-sided and irrelevant to their career ambitions, while costing each domestic learner around $1,000. It put the University's reputation at risk, both locally and internationally.

"The next step is to address the costs imposed on the 8,000 students who have been forced to take the course this year. Students paid fees, lost time, and missed out on courses they actually would have chosen, or that were needed for their qualification.

"I have already written to the Vice Chancellor suggesting a credit for a future paper would be a fair way forward. I'm sure many students would have been disappointed that this question was not addressed in this week's meeting. I will follow up on this and urge the University council to consider compensation at their next meeting on 10 December.”