How does tertiary education continue to favour the white middle class?
Author: Catherine Cadzow
The current political environment within New Zealand encourages a neoliberal
education system to flourish. Politics such as these often favour the white middle class
of New Zealand as education becomes more of a commodity to sell. While
neoliberalism within primary and secondary education has been well discussed, this
essay aims to delve in to how the New Zealand tertiary system, with a particular
emphasis on universities, favour the white middle class as opposed to those who are
less privileged. This is illustrated in the societal expectations of white middle class
students and their access to information on tertiary education, university scholarships
favouring students who have the cultural and economic capital to participate in
extracurricular activities, Māori students being more likely to leave university after their
first year of study due to lack of support, and Māori graduates being paid less in
industry while also taking longer to pay off student loans.
Students who do not fall within the white middle class of New Zealand lack the
information and knowledge about higher education compared to those who are white
middle class. Just under half of Māori graduates are the first in their family to attend
higher education, prospective Māori university students then face difficulties of lacking
family who have attended university that they could gather information from, receive
educational advice, and view as a role model (Reremoana Theodore M. G., 2017).
Students from lower socio-economic families may also fear rejection or failure at the
prospect of attending university, especially if there is the expectation they will not
attend higher education from family, school, or society.
Scholarships offered from NZ universities are often aimed towards those with
academic excellence, however grades are not the sole factor when determining who
receives these awards, with extracurriculars being a substantial emphasis of
applications. Those who do not belong in the white middle class become even more
disadvantaged from the education system as those in more impoverished
communities lack access to transport to extracurricular activities, lack the funds to
participate, or their communities are unable to facilitate extracurricular activities. In
2018, 20 percent of recipients of the University of Auckland Top Achiever scholarship
were within the richest 10 percent of students, while the poorest 10 percent of students
received none (Meech, 2019). Predominately universities offering scholarships to
white middle class continues to leave those not in this category at a disadvantage.
Students from lower socio-economic backgrounds are driven to take out student loans
to pay for their tertiary education, while those whose families are able to help
contribute to university fees are continuing to advantage from the system.
Furthermore, of those that enter tertiary education the first year retention rate of Māori
and Pasifika students is much lower than European students for the completion of a
Bachelor’s degree. In 2017, just over 77 percent of Māori and Pasifika students
returned for their second year of study, while approximately 85 percent of their white
counterparts returned for second year (Education Counts NZ, 2019). This indicates
there is more to be done by tertiary education providers to support non-white students.
A study conducted by Neha, Scott and van der Meer in 2010 discovered that 21
percent of first year Māori students at the University of Otago felt their cultural and
social needs could be supported more by the institution (Jacques van der Meer, 2010).
While tertiary education is slowly improving towards creating an environment that
encourages Māori and Pasifika students, the evidence points to more support for nonwhite students in tertiary education needs to be upheld.
It appears that for those not privy to the white middle class are also disadvantaged
after the completion of tertiary study. Māori graduates were reported to have significant
lower earnings five years after graduating compared to European graduates
(Reremoana Theodore, 2018). Māori graduates are considered more likely to use
student loans as payment of their study fees, and take longer to repay these loans
back when compared to other New Zealand students. (N. Chen, 2012). The
combination of these two factors ensures that the white middle class continues to be
advantaged through a neoliberal education system. Earning less than white graduates
means paying off student loans are harder for Māori, especially if no scholarships were
accessible. Descendants of Māori graduates are also put in a position of hardship
compared to white middle class graduates, as breaking out of lower socio-economic
circumstances is more difficult for those who not only earn less, but owe more.
Tertiary education in New Zealand continues to advantage white middle class students
and disadvantage those who are not from a similar background. This can be seen by
the lack of resources and role models for prospective Māori and lower class students
considering tertiary education, which can result in discouragement to pursue higher
education due to fear of rejection. Similarly, scholarships that focus predominately on
success in extracurricular activities on top of excellent grades creates a barrier for
those in lower socio-economic communities to overcome. This can be a result of little
monetary support to pay for extra-curricular activities, transportation difficulties, or
merely that the community is unable to provide a structure for extra-curricular activities
to thrive. Māori students who do attend university have a lower retention rate
compared to other New Zealand students, which suggests a deficit of cultural support
for Māori students in tertiary education. Lastly, Māori graduates continue to be
disadvantaged by the system as five years after graduation they owe more money to
student loans than other New Zealand graduates, and they earn less than graduates
in their year too. Without the acknowledgement and further exploration into the
disadvantages and repercussions of a neoliberal education system that favours the
white middle class, there will continue to be inequity within our education system.
Word count: 971
Works Cited
Education Counts NZ. (2019, January). Tertiary student retention rates. Retrieved
from Education Counts:
https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/statistics/indicators/main/studentengagement-participation/tertiary_student_retention
Jacques van der Meer, S. S. (2010). Retention of first-year Māori students at
university. MAI Review, 1-14.
Meech, D. (2019, October 19). Riches to Riches, Rags to Rags: The University of
Auckland’s Broken Scholarships Programme. Retrieved from CRACUUM:
http://www.craccum.co.nz/?p=4421&fbclid=IwAR1LpRDKf373DJt14iUB1kP1_G-p32C8uETmG1Z0e6Tc90cIR5mAYTdmjI
N. Chen, M. W. (2012). Slow repayers: The characteristics of borrowers who make
slow progress in reducing their student loans. Wellington. Wellington: Tertiary
Sector Performance Analysis, Tertiary, International and System
Performance, Ministry of Education.
Reremoana Theodore, M. G. (2017). Māori University success: what helps and
hinders qualification completion. AlterNative: An International Journal of
Indigenous Peoples, 122-133.
Reremoana Theodore, M. T. (2018). Equity in New Zealand university graduate
outcomes: Māori and Pacific graduates, Higher Education Research &
Development,. Higher Education Research & Development , 206-221.