The Otago Daily Times reports that Otago Polytechnic has secured an unexpected boost of $1.2 million for next year.

“It’s like an early Christmas present,” Chief Executive Phil Kerr said.

WINTEC and Eastern Institute of Technology also picked up $1.2 million each in discretionary funding, from the $8 million of discretionary funding allocated to the polytechnics by the Tertiary Education Commission

Tertiary education minister Anne Tolley announced the funding again this week, saying the allocations of money was based on polytechnics’ performance in delivering education and training to students under 25, and students at higher levels of training.

“This represents an important step in delivering this Government’s election commitment to introduce a performance-linked funding system,” said Mrs Tolley.

TEU National Secretary Sharn Riggs says it is interesting to note that Otago Polytechnic was one of the biggest beneficiaries of the discretionary funding, despite being widely perceived in the sector as one of the institutions to have stood up to the State Services Commission and the government’s expectations around employment relations and pay increases.

“It’s also relevant that five of the six polytechnics currently engaged in a dispute with their staff picked up money from the discretionary fund. That suggests that TEC thinks that their current operational model is working well, and that there is no need for the new one they currently are trying to impose on staff.”  It also means that collectively they have now got an extra $3 million to spend next year.”