By STACEY BODGER education reporter
The number of polytechnic students has grown three times faster than academic staff over the past three years.
Ministry of Education figures show that polytechnics have been forced to bump up class sizes to compensate for a decline in Government funding.
But the institutions have not been employing extra academic staff to meet higher student numbers.
The figures show that equivalent fulltime student numbers at polytechnics grew nearly 12 per cent between 1996 and 1999, while academic staff numbers grew just 3.6 per cent.
Student numbers in the university sector rose 6.9 per cent, compared with a 3.9 per cent growth in academic staff over the same period.
Association of Polytechnics executive director Jim Doyle said it was inevitable that higher student:staff ratios would eventually affect students' quality of learning.
"But as the pressure on institutions rises and rises, it's a question of just when that's going to be and what effects will show through."
Institutions had deliberately increased their income through greater student numbers, while trying to limit staffing salaries, which accounted for around 60 per cent of expenses.
"It's simply a management reality when budgets are so tight," Mr Doyle said.
The acting president of the Aotearoa Polytechnic Students Union, Rob Scowen, said it would monitor the ratios to try to assess the impact on the quality of education delivered.
"It's worrying that rising fees haven't yielded higher teacher numbers and we will be watching to see if students' access to their tutors deteriorates."
The average student:staff ratio rose from 12.7 students per academic in 1996 to 13.7 in 1999.
But Jill Ovens, president of the polytechnic academic staff union, said the ratio was even higher because the figures included staff who rarely taught because of administrative overload.
The Auckland University of Technology's 1999 ratio was 16.8 students per academic, comparable to the average ratio for universities.
Its student:staff ratio in 1990 was 11.1.
Jill Ovens said polytechnics had shifted to a "bums on seats" approach and class sizes would continue to rise as budgets became tighter.
"There are many people complaining about this mentality but there's not going to be an end to it unless funding levels are addressed."
The trend had led to a marked shift from polytechnics' traditionally small workshop and laboratory environments.
Polytech student gains outstrip staff numbers
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