Returning to the model that was failing for most polytechnics and Institutes of Technology is not the answer.

“Te Pukenga was set up because it was increasingly difficult for polytechnics and Institutes of Technology to survive alone,” Labour’s tertiary education spokesperson Deborah Russell said.

“All the feedback I’ve heard from the sector was that Te Pukenga had turned a corner and was starting to deliver. It took longer than it should, we acknowledge that – but it is the right approach.

“Instead, Minister Penny Simmonds is ignoring the voice of the sector. She has gone against the advice of her officials and her own specialist advisors. They told her to form regional groups of polytechs so that the institutions could draw on each other’s strengths and ultimately be financially viable.

“She says institutions can become autonomous if they are financially viable, but just two weeks ago the Education and Workforce Select Committee was told that only two former Institutes of Technology and Polytechs could stand on their own.

“We welcome the Minister’s proposal to consult more about models for on-the-job training. But it would be good to know whether or not she will actually follow the advice of the sector and her own experts, or just impose her own predetermined views on this as she has done for Te Pukenga.

“What she is doing is taking the sector apart again and creating more disruption. This is tough on students and tough on staff, and will ultimately take the sector backwards.

“I hope the Minister takes the summer break to reflect and comes back in the new year with more of an open mind to what this sector actually needs,” Deborah Russell said.

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