Tolley refuses to bat for better tertiary ed
new-zealand-labour-party
Wed Jul 01 2009 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Tolley refuses to bat for better tertiary ed
Wednesday, 1 July 2009, 4:07 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party
Tolley refuses to bat for better tertiary education
National is ignoring the growing need to make tertiary education a priority, says Labour Tertiary Education Spokesperson Maryan Street.
“Anne Tolley today claimed at Select Committee that she had cut funding for Adult Community Education Courses to prioritise training at Polytechnics and Universities.
“However, when asked why, if Polytechnic training was such a priority, she hadn’t increased the number of training places at these institutions, she had no answers.
“Her statements on making tertiary education a priority ring hollow when the reality is she is making cuts to Adult and Community Education courses, not increasing places for tertiary students, and saying that she would allow any regional polytechnic that was struggling financially to fail.
“The Minister is clearly out of touch with what is needed to keep New Zealanders learning and working if she can’t see the benefits from adult education courses and increasing training places for students.
“I was extremely disappointed that, despite petitions being launched to save Adult Community and Education courses, Anne Tolley said she had no intention of making a case to the Minister of Finance for a supplementary estimate to bring back their funding. In essence she is saying there is no way back for these valuable community courses.
“I think the fact that not one single National Party MP has made any representation to the Minister on petitions regarding Adult and Community Education funding cuts shows a complete lack of respect for their communities and outright arrogance.
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“Communities around the country have been outraged by the decision to cut 80 percent of Adult Community and Education funding from schools.
“I was also extremely disappointed at Anne Tolley’s decision to attack polytechnics over what she described as a ‘campaign’ against caps on the number of students,” Maryan Street said.
“Her accusation that polytechnic chief executives were releasing exaggerated figures of the number of people who will be turned away from tertiary education because of the National Government’s refusal to increase a student cap is both offensive and ludicrous.
“Anne Tolley chose not to increase the cap on student numbers despite claiming her government had prioritised skill based training that would increase employment opportunities.
“She is now attacking polytechnics for inflating enrolments when it is clear around the country that people who are being made redundant are flocking to polytechnics to upskill.
“Anne Tolley is clearly a Minister under pressure who can not justify cutting access to education and training in a recession.
“Perhaps the Minister needs to take a course on how to win friends and influence others because right now she it is clear she has no support from her cabinet colleagues to deliver a stronger tertiary education sector and better skilled workforce
ENDS
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