Vocational Education Minister Penny Simmonds’ yesterday announced 10 polytechnics — including Otago and the Southern Institute of Technology — would return to autonomy at the start of next year.
The announcement marked the beginning of the end for mega-polytechnic Te Pūkenga, which brought together the country’s 16 Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs) five years ago.
Ms Simmonds has frequently criticised Te Pūkenga’s model as being unwieldy and uneconomic — and unable to deliver vocational education to the regions.
"This is a major milestone in building a vocational education system that’s locally led, regionally responsive and future focused.
"We’ve listened to extensive industry feedback and I’m confident our plan will set the sector up for long-term economic and learning success."
The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand will be the anchor polytechnic of a new "federation", which would include Otago Polytechnic and Universal College Of Learning (UCOL).
"The federation will co-ordinate programmes and other services, including shared academic boards.
"It will provide a low overhead way for polytechnics to create more efficient business models than they could on their own through the use of online learning resources and programmes."
"Otago Polytechnic currently boasts one of the highest learner completion rates in the polytechnic sector, and we are concerned that the federation model would dilute this offering and impact our organisation’s proud reputation and future success.
"The federation model risks undermining our learner success rates and the quality of teaching at Otago Polytechnic, and ultimately risks undermining our independence and future viability as a regional institution."
Dr Potiki said the polytechnic would pursue a path towards independence, and would welcome the support of the government and the local community to get there.
"Standing alone would mean the autonomy to make our own decisions and the ability to respond to the needs and aspirations of our ākonga [students], our kaimahi [staff], our local communities and employers."
Green MP Francisco Hernandez said the process of disestablishing Te Pūkenga had been more disruptive than the original merger.
"The lack of support and ad hoc planning has cost nearly one in 10 jobs in the polytech sector and the closure of so many critical courses and campuses right across the country.
"Here in Otago — we know that valuable courses such as horticulture and English foundation courses have gone by the wayside, along with countless jobs."
Mr Hernandez said while it was good news some polytechnics got to stand on their own, the creation of the federation for polytechnics raised more questions than it answered.
"The decision to create an awkward three-way merger between Otago Polytechnic, UCOL and Open Polytechnic is a questionable one.
"The people of Otago ... deserve a thriving, local polytechnic that can meet the needs of the learners, communities and businesses that they serve — and a three-headed hydra that straddles two different islands isn’t the answer."
Tertiary Education Union general secretary Daniel Benson-Guiu said the federation model could end up being a "race to the bottom".
"No-one asked or wanted to be part of the federation."
There was the risk of creating a "confused system", he said.
"Our concern is that it will lead to a reliance on online learning, which can become problematic, especially for those looking to get back into the education system — any limiting of face-to-face learning will only compound inequities in the system.
"The minister had an assignment, she’s presented it late, it’s full of errors and she’s upset a heap of staff in the process."
Meanwhile, NorthTec, Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki, Whitireia Community Polytechnic and Wellington Institute of Technology and Tai Poutini Polytechnic will remain with Te Pūkenga. Decisions about their futures are due in the first half of next year.
The standing 10
The 10 polytechnics returning to regional governance are. —
— Ara Institute of Canterbury (Ara)
— Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT)
— Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT)
— Southern Institute of Technology (SIT)
— Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology
— Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec)
— Unitec Institute of Technology (Unitec) and Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT), which will stand up as a single entity
— Otago Polytechnic
— Universal College of Learning (UCOL)
— The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand
