Students' Minds 'Colonised'

The mind of the student is 'colonised' with the values and ideology of the present system by the contents of what they are taught, and the method by which they are taught. The content of lectures is often an ideological prop justifying the present order, especially in Law, Arts and Commerce faculties. Courses mostly deal with the operations of the existing order in an abstract and theoretical manner; assumptions are not critically examined in the light of New Zealand social practice.

The method of the transmission of knowledge is based on an assumption of the ignorance of the student and his lack of experience related to the subject. As a consequence, the students role is a passive uninitiating role of inferiority. The teacher's role is one of superiority, initiative and fountain-head of knowledge. Given that much of the content of lectures is abstract, and divorced from applicability to New Zealand, often the student only learns what he does: passivity, following orders, accepting the authority of "superiors' because of their supposed superior knowledge, and questioning only within clearly defined assumptions. These traits are at the core of the students' apolitical nature.

As students have little or no control over course content, course methods and staff appointments, then students have no control over their education. Therefore, the minds of students will continue to be 'colonised' and they will continue to be apolitical. (VUW)