John Key needs to stop his attacks on our polytechnics, says TEU national president Dr Tom Ryan.

“The prime minister’s sideswipe concerning completion rates for sub-degree tertiary programmes can only be read as a criticism of New Zealand polytechnics and institutes of technology. It also is an unfair dig at the very institutions and people who can most help him achieve his professed goal of up-skilling our country’s workforce.”

“The prime minister says that he wants more skills, higher wages, and more kids in jobs – that is, a stronger, healthier economy. The tertiary education sector can help with all these goals. But not when the government continually whittles away its funding streams, caps student numbers, and treats staff and students with contempt.”

“Universities, wānanga and polytechnics already are producing scores of ‘world class’ graduates, but as Mr Key has previously identified, too many are heading overseas to Australia where they routinely get a 25-30 percent pay differential”, said Dr Ryan.

“A good way for him and his government to start getting serious about higher skills and higher wages here in New Zealand would be for them to show some pride in and loyalty to the people who make up our already-’world class’ tertiary education system.”