Private tertiary payout a sop

The Tertiary Education Commission’s allocation of $17 million to private providers is a lame attempt to make up for the huge damage the Government has caused to the sector, says National’s Tertiary education spokesman Simon Power.

“The Government imposed a moratorium on funding for private providers, halting any expansion, and is threatening to impose more controls on them with new legislation. This meagre fund is a pathetic attempt at placating them.

“130 Private Training Establishments submitted proposals totalling over $62 million, but only 48 were lucky enough to gain allocations totalling $16.8 million. The Government should explain why some missed out, and how this will affect students.

“More and more students are relying on private providers to better themselves and gain qualifications. >From 2000 to 2001 there was a 31.9% growth in students at private institutes, and 32.2% of students enrolled are Maori.

“It is unfair for students and institutes in the private sector to continually miss out. The issue should be about quality of service, not ownership structure,” said Mr Power.

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