Time to have your say on Polytechnic changes.

Hau Taki Haere | Tertiary Update Vol 29, No 10

By Daniel Benson-Guiu, Te Pou Ahurei Takirua – Ahumahi | Assistant National Secretary – Industrial

MPs scrutinise new legislation making its way through parliament through the Select Committee process. Penny Simmonds, as Minister for Vocational Education, was questioned by MPs last week about the Education (Vocational Education and Training) Amendment Bill, which proposes to disestablish Te Pūkenga to create a new and complex system of vocational education. I sat in on the committee, wanting to get further insight into the future of the system.

I left the Select Committee room with more questions than answers. I could see the confusion on the faces of a number of MPs. The Bill doesn’t stack up. Shanan Halbert, Labour Tertiary Education Spokesperson, asked whether the Minister’s proposal would safeguard vocational education for years to come, given the uncertainty kaimahi and ākonga in the sector have been living under for years. The Minister believed it would, but could not answer why a complicated network of polytechnics, anchor polytechnics, federation polytechnics, and Industry Standards Boards (ISBs, which take over the Workforce Development Councils) would resolve the systemic problems. Shanan then pointed out that the fundamental problem was a lack of funds in the sector, which he pointed out was being taken away from both universities and the vocational education sector. The Minister responded that there would be efficiencies, some mergers, and some asset sales.

That’s what this Bill is about: cutting costs. These are the instructions Te Pūkenga and divisional polytechnic leaders have received. Further, it opens the door to privatisation by taking trainees and apprentices away from the system to put them under the temporary support of ISBs. After two years, PTEs, polytechnics, and wānanga can all bid for these students while ISBs return to their actual focus on industry and training standard setting. The Minister admitted that the Feasibility Reports commissioned to four consulting agencies, which the Union has been denied access to through multiple OIAs, are informing the current organisational change processes that are seeing hundreds of our members being reviewed, from NorthTec to SIT.

Francisco Hernandez, Greens Tertiary Education Spokesperson asked about the new $20 million in funding that the Government has set aside for Te Pūkenga to continue strategically important vocational education. The Minister explained that there are two aspects to the strategic funds: regions and programmes that are strategically important. Yet the regions she mentioned as examples, NorthTec and the East Coast, and the programmes she referred to, Forestry and Agriculture, have been subject to cuts.

The Minister couldn’t answer which divisional polytechnics will stay and which will go, which would be an anchor and which would form part of a federation. She indicated that we would find out more in June after a Cabinet meeting. We’re in June already and waiting. While she’s still making up her mind, jobs and courses are being cut, courses that matter to iwi, communities, and industry.

The Education and Training (Vocational Education and Training System) Amendment Bill can be summarised simply: ‘right-sizing’, less polytechnics, less staff, and less opportunities for learners and employers. It’s a ‘back to basics’ approach, which will strip away the life and diversity from our campuses, in terms of programmes and students.

It’s time for members to submit, in your words, on why keeping public, accessible, and quality vocational education is important in all regions of Aotearoa.

We are aware there was a problem with the link for last week’s submission writing workshop, so we have scheduled another for 12 noon this Thursday. In an attempt to make it foolproof we are asking you to please register by sending an email to Rewa, and she will send you a link to the Zoom meeting.

Click here for the TEU’s submission guide, and here to make your submission by Wednesday 18 June.

For an overview of the Bill head to a very quick briefing from our National Secretary Sandra Grey.

And you might also want to take a look at what Sandra has to say about unnecessary changes to the Education Act coming for universities.

Also in this update:

• Aborted faculty merger a win for organising collectively
• National General Meeting
• Upcoming delegate training in Canterbury and Otago
• Better Off Together Mid Term Report

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Siouxsie Wiles 'absolutely delighted' by Employment Court ruling – RNZ

Budget documents raise alarm that universities could collapse – Stuff

'Huge disruptions' see polytechs' international student numbers halve – Newstalk ZB