National slams 'pet pedicure' course

Tax-funded, four-year courses in animal homeopathy and "art-based health" subjects have been ridiculed in Parliament by National as evidence of the Government's "botched" tertiary education strategy.

National education spokesman Bill English asked Education Minister Trevor Mallard yesterday why the courses were more important than funding apprenticeships.

The money came from the Tertiary Education Commission's "strategic priorities fund".

The Bay of Plenty College of Homeopathy offers the animal course at the Auckland University of Technology. Havelock North's Taruna College offers the "art of health" course.

To laughter in the House, Mr English said the art course included "understanding the effect of colour on the human soul, metamorphosis and transition which will be explored through transition in colour and movement as well as through myth, poetry and fairy tales".

Tertiary Education Commission spokesman Mark Ebrey refused to say how much taxpayer money had gone into both courses and cited commercial sensitivity - despite its being public money.

Mr English later said he understood the funding amounted to tens of thousands of dollars for each course but could not confirm that.

He did not believe the homeopathic needs of "cats, dogs and budgies" was an issue of national educational importance.

"The courses receiving money from Labour's flagship strategic priorities fund are hand-picked by TEC," he said.

"When they are choosing to pour money into pedicures and homeopathy for pets at the expense of the trades and other areas of serious skill shortage, it's obvious that Labour's strategy has failed."

Mr English said it was the same strategy that had seen more than $1.75 billion "hosed away" on the 70 per cent of sub-degree students who had failed to complete their courses.

The Bay of Plenty college's chief executive Susanna Shelton said course participants would use the knowledge to increase production in the growing organics industry.

The NZQA-approved course was first funded using the strategic priorities fund in 2003, providing money for 16 of the 25 students on the four-year full-time course.

Commission acting chairwoman Kaye Turner said the country's growing organic exports industry was dependent on alternative therapies and that was a major factor behind the approval of the diploma.

Students on the course included veterinarians, veterinary nurses, dairy farmers and zoo workers.

Other courses criticised yesterday have had good employment outcomes, she said.

The certificate in art health (anthroposophical studies) is provided by the country's specialist provider of Rudolf Steiner teaching diplomas, Taruna College.

"It is linked to major regional health providers, whose holistic approach to health and healing has appeal to Maori students in particular and has resulted in good employment outcomes for past students."

Mr English also questioned funding of other courses from the $23.8 million "slush fund", including nail technology, fashion makeup and contemporary urban music certificates.

The Government has been in the gun over the huge increase in funding for other sub-degree courses offered by Te Wananga O Aotearoa, which now has a Government-appointed manager after a string of embarrassing revelations in Parliament by Act MP Ken Shirley.

Mr Shirley had another wananga, Whakatane-based Te Whare Wananga O Awanuiarangi, in his sights yesterday, alleging it enrolled kaumatua - including an 82-year-old - in a tax-funded elementary te reo course when they were Maori fluent.

Some were so fluent they were better than the tutor. Mr Mallard replied: "It doesn't seem to be a good case of needs-based education."

Wananga chief executive Dr Gary Raumati Hook said he knew nothing about such allegations, but had started an investigation.

Courses in the gun

* Animal homeopathy, offered by Bay of Plenty College of Homeopathy at the Auckland University of Technology.

* Art of health, run by Taruna College, Havelock North.

* Nail technology certificate, offered by the National School of Aesthetics, Christchurch.

* Fashion makeup certificate, offered by Samala Robinson Academy Ltd, Auckland.

Source: National education spokesman Bill English