World's Oldest Profession 101

I suppose that the New Zealand Tertiary Education Commission, hereafter referred to as the TEC, has come up with a first for higher education.

Funding for courses in prostitution are being studied and have been brought to the attention of members of the New Zealand Parliament. MP's were told in hearings that courses in the world's oldest profession would have to meet the same criteria as other tertiary courses of study. Is this for real?

It is going to take all of the restraint I can muster to resist some very poignant remarks on this, but I will try my best.

TEC minister, Michael Cullen, has said that funding of all courses will be based on a three-year plan and not on the number of students who elect to enroll in specific approved courses. "These changes are aimed at increasing the quality and relevance of courses," he said.

I've got lots and lots of questions about what is going on in the educational bureaucracy of New Zealand.

National Party education spokeswoman, Katherine Rich, questioned as to whether this new plan of funding might lead to the proliferation of courses such as "Twilight Golf" which somehow got approved under the old plan.

I'm having a very difficult time with this story.

I can imagine this cute high school senior approaching mom and dad with the fact that she is torn between taking courses in prostitution or twilight golf. Either way it is bound to make these happy parents proud.

Or how about this senario -- the same cute high school senior confronts her parents with the old "good news -- bad news" announcement. The good news is that she has made up her mind to go to college after all, and you know what the bad news is. When asked about their daughter and her educational plans, the parents can enthusiastically say that she is studying prostitution.

Janice Shener, TEC chief executive, said that her organization could not dictate what courses the institutions of higher learning could offer, but those courses would have to "meet minimum quality standards, demonstrate genuine community need and government priorities. So what is the problem -- I would think courses in prostitution or twilight golf could meet that criteria -- particularly in what appears to be a crazy New Zealand. (I know what prostitution is but just what is twilight golf?)

I have major questions about professors and their training (you cannot let unqualified people teach), if the courses would be gender exclusive, types of tests and exams to be given and if it would be possible to audit the courses?

Even though I have a masters in education from State and was taught by, for the most part, some great teachers, I have always been suspect of the likes of NEA and bureaucrats in state and national education departments. They may be just as nutty as those in New Zealand. But surely they would not endorse this sort of curriculum -- but who knows?

Don't you appreciate how I restrained myself and kept this pretty much on the high road when I could have had so, so much fun with this post?