Continuing Education Cuts in Northland Raise Concerns

new-zealand-first-party

Fri Nov 18 2016 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

Continuing Education Cuts in Northland Raise Concerns

Friday, 18 November 2016, 4:29 pm
Press Release: New Zealand First Party

Tracey Martin MP
Spokesperson for Education
18 NOVEMBER 2016

Continuing Education Cuts in Northland Raise Concerns

Another tertiary institution is being brought to its knees, thanks to the government’s ongoing funding cuts to the education sector, says New Zealand First.

“Whangarei-based polytechnic North Tech is set to lose $2.3 million in funding for programmes crucial for young people who leave school with few qualifications, and second-chance learners,” says New Zealand First Education spokesperson Tracey Martin.

“This comes the same week as The Design School in Whangarei announced it could close this year after having its funding slashed.

“The National Government is deliberately allowing public education to run down, in favour of private education in which profits are pursued over educational standards.

“The Government cutting funding to Level 1 & 2 courses in Northland, for example, ignores the systematic lack of investment in education for this region and its young people.

“The time to trim back these courses is when regional need has been identified, not when Wellington’s data stats are flat-lining across the country.

“This government appears to have no concern for the viability of public provision as they struggle to compete against private entities making a profit from the public purse in a "bums on seats" environment.

“New Zealand First's Up Front Investment Tertiary Policy would ensure that the right skills for New Zealand's future would be fully supported across the country with recognised regional input,” says Ms Martin.

ENDS

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

a.supporter:hover {background:#EC4438!important;} @media screen and (max-width: 480px) { #byline-block div.byline-block {padding-right:16px;}}

Using Scoop for work?

Scoop is free for personal use, but you’ll need a licence for work use. This is part of our Ethical Paywall and how we fund Scoop. Join today with plans starting from less than $3 per week, plus gain access to exclusive Pro features.

Join Pro Individual Find out more

Find more from New Zealand First Party on InfoPages.