So from our ongoing theory versus reality file comes the government's great fail on tertiary study.

"Next year is on me."

Remember that line? It was Jacinda Ardern announcing free student study to an adoring student audience, "next year is on me."

It wasn't, of course, it was on us. As it's always on us, the taxpayer.

And the slip was a good example of those who forget whose money it is. And they tend to be able to spend it with a certain alacrity.

And so the results are out. The idea was, of course, two-fold.

One, to increase the number of students studying.

And two, to make it easier and less of a financial burden to do so.

So how many lined up for this pot of educational gold? No-one.

0.3 percent increase in enrolments, and there is no reason to believe that isn't a seasonal, annual, or population blip anyway.

And if every one of those 0.3 percent is a direct result of the policy, you can't even begin to argue the policy is a hit.

The irony, of course, is the university's spent more money on time and admin sorting out the changes than there were people to fill the seats.

So one would think this answers once and for all the question, does a fee of some sort prevent those who want to study from studying?

The resounding no appears to be the case.

Dovetail the failure of this policy with the statistics released last week that showed the average student debt is only between 10 and 15,000 dollars and you have a picture vastly different from the one painted by those who support all this largesse.

Their argument has been, fees are egregious, they're a barrier, and only the rich can study.

I mark that about 9 out of 10 on the crap-o-meter.

They leave with qualifications for life, increased job opportunities and a bill that really in the grand scheme of things is minor, if not insignificant.

When offered it for nothing, no thanks.

In one way, it’s a relief because the fear, of course, was that a lot of no-hopers would enrol. Because why wouldn't you? They could spend a year "discovering themselves," the way they used to before the fees first got introduced in the first place.

So in that, I guess we see a new maturity.

But as for a policy, this is classic Labour, all theory no reality.

"Next year is on me." I am sure the four people who lined up thank you.