Polytechnic Education in Danger unless Govt Acts

Polytechnic Education in Danger unless Government Acts

Community based polytechnics offering vocational education could become a thing of the past unless the Government is prepared step in and offer rescue packages for many local polytechnics

“Today’s announcement that the Taranaki Polytechnic is facing a $4.6 million deficit and will sack more than a quarter of its staff reveals a dangerous trend of small regionally focused polytechnics going bust,” said David Penney, National President of the Aotearoa Tertiary Students Association.

“We know for sure that the Central Institute of Technology, the Wanganui Polytechnic, the Wairarapa Polytechnic and the Taranaki Polytechnic are all in a grave financial situation. We suspect there are many more,” said David Penney.

“The Government must act to stop the tide of polytechnics haemorrhaging staff. The capacity of local polytechnics to deliver quality job-based education, that the country so dearly needs, is in grave danger.”

“We believe that the Government must act, because it was the Government that created the competitive tertiary marketplace, where private training establishments, using Government funding, where able to attract students away from local polytechnics,” concluded David Penney.

ENDS For more comment contact:

David Penney

National President

Aotearoa Tertiary Students Association (formerly APSU)

025 756 526 or 04 498 2501

© Scoop Media