Academic colonialism NZ style

New Zealand academics teaching at the University of the South Pacific are to be regarded as 'more equal' than their locally recruited counterparts. The Council of the University has proposed that the New Zealand Government give "supplementation" benefits to New Zealand teachers at the University, which will lift their salaries above those of staff from local areas.

The proposal has been attacked by S.K. Tupouniua, President of the Association of the USP staff. He says the council's proposal derived from "inappropriate recommendations based on inaccurate information provided.... by our University administration which is presently run by New Zealanders'. All top decision making posts at the University are held by New Zealanders (who number only 14 out of the total staff of about 100). "Such strong neo-colonial dependence in 1974 is not to New Zealand's credit," says Tupouniua.

"We do not welcome New Zealand academics who come to exploit the needs and fill their pockets with supplementary benefits, demonstrating discrimination to our students who shall become leaders of the Pacific Island nations," he said.

Jim Crichton, for NZUSA. has also strenuously opposed the supplementation proposal. "What it means." he said, "is that New Zealand academics will receive more remuneration than their South Pacific collegaues for the same jobs simply because they are New Zealanders."

One reason for the proposal is that the University wants to attract staff of the highest academic standards. But the correlation between high academic standards and high pay is tenuous just look at the highly paid staff at Victoria University for example.

The challenge of working in a new university has already attracted some academics to the USP and should continue to do so.

However, if the university administrators at USP feel that higher salaries are needed to attract staff, it should demand increases for all staff regardless of nationality. It the current wage freeze in Fiji is preventing increases, then it should agitate to break the freeze, or accept that low salaries are better than discriminatory salaries.

If the New Zealand government does accept the proposals it will be a clear-cut example of New Zealand's colonialist attitude towards the South Pacific.