• By Parmjeet Parmar, Pakuranga-based ACT List MP

I was recently contacted by a concerned University of Waikato law student about a change that should alarm anyone who values academic standards.

The law faculty is now granting students an automatic 10-day extension for assessments submitted after the deadline.

According to that student, when they asked for an explanation, they were told by a lecturer this was part of “decolonising the process”, with concepts like deadlines, punctuality, and lateness described as “white colonial ideas”.

When contacted by ACT, a senior lecturer at the faculty confirmed deadlines had indeed become flexible by default.

The justification offered was that applying for an extension creates unnecessary stress for students and that this policy change supports their well-being.

But law is a field where timeliness is not optional. Whether it is filing documents in court or responding to a legal matter within a statutory timeframe, meeting deadlines is a core professional responsibility.

The consequences if strict timeframes are not met could be serious.

Waikato is doing its students no favours. Graduates will leave unprepared for the demands of real legal work.

The value of the degree they’ve spent years and thousands of dollars on will be watered down compared to those from universities that maintain high standards.

What is more concerning is the racial framing used to justify this change.

To suggest that accountability and time management are “white colonial ideas” is not only inaccurate but also deeply insulting.

It implies students from non-white backgrounds are inherently less capable of meeting expectations.

That is not equity. It’s a dangerous lowering of the bar based on assumptions that should have no place in any academic institution.

Supporting students means helping them rise to meet high standards, not removing those standards entirely.

Students should be equipped with the skills and resilience they will need in the real world, especially in professions where others rely on them to act with precision and professionalism.

Universities have a responsibility to prepare students for the demands of the workforce, not to shield them from it.

If Waikato wants to graduate lawyers who are truly ready to represent others, it should begin by reinstating clear expectations and consistent academic discipline, starting with something as basic as submitting work on time.