Cullen Gives Important Signal For Tertiary Reforms

For all Education Reporters

Martin Eadie
Executive Director
Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics New Zealand

Dr Cullen Gives Important Signal For Tertiary Reforms

The Executive Director of the ITPNZ, Martin Eadie said that today’s announcement by Dr. Michael Cullen of “a significant amount of new funding to support the tertiary education reforms” was an important signal.

“The new system is based on an investment approach to education” said Eadie “and the announcement of new funding signals that the government is ready to invest in our nation’s tertiary education system.”

While Eadie noted that the Minister indicated that in some cases over the next 5 years some investment decisions will come from reprioritisation and realignment of exiting provision, it was a very important signal that at the start of the new system the government was prepared to make new funding available for new areas of provision and the change process itself.

“It was especially pleasing to see that the government has identified the need for a significant capital investment of $55 million in the ITP network over the next 2 years” stated Eadie.

While appreciating the very positive signal given today Eadie also noted that the full impact of today’s announcement would not be able to be fully assessed by the ITP sector until the total investment in the ITP sector and the actual size of the new funding was revealed in the full Budget release.

ENDS

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