Student enrolments at many of the country’s institutes of technology and polytechnics are at an all-time high according to James Buwalda, spokesperson for the New Zealand Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (NZ ITP).

Applications at some Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs) are up 10 percent from the same time last year and with NCEA results released this week, NZITP says providers can expect another surge in applications.

Dr Bulwalda says that there is growing competition for available places.

“The Government has funded 455 more student places at ITPs for 2011, but increased demand is surpassing that so unfortunately people are still going to be turned away.”

Dr Bulwalda believes it is too early to assume, at this stage, that record high rolls combined with reduced government funding will result in growing student: staff ratios.

“The more fundamental question is how the teaching practice in polytechnics is going to evolve over time. On one level, undoubtedly there is pressure to become more cost efficient, and student: staff ratios are one way of doing that. But it is also important to focus on good outcomes for teaching; giving students every chance of success. That is about the total student experience. A simple metric of student: staff ratios does not do justice to the total student experiences.”

Instead Dr Bulwalda believes that ITPs will be focusing on the Tertiary Education Commission’s measurement of completions and progressions.

“ITPs need to do what it takes to improve their own statistics around completions and progressions.  If they are doing that, they are giving the students who do enrol the best chance of success.”