Tukituki MP Lawrence Yule says a government proposal would "destroy regional education in Hawke's Bay". Photo / File
Tukituki MP Lawrence Yule says a government proposal would "destroy regional education in Hawke's Bay". Photo / File
A "disastrous" tertiary education proposal being considered by the Government would sack the board of Hawke's Bay-based EIT and consolidate its assets in Wellington, Lawrence Yule says.
The MP for Tukituki says he has received a Cabinet paper, which the Government says is a draft paper, showing potential changes tovocational education are further reaching than originally thought.
"The reforms will mean regional polytechnics will be renamed as subsidiaries of a newly formed statutory entity called New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology (NZIST)," Yule said.
"After two years polytechs and industry training organisations will be dissolved.
"This is disastrous for regional education and apprenticeships."
He said the Cabinet paper showed cash assets and community legacy assets would be ring-fenced at a head office and all other assets taken away and consolidated.
Yule said EIT has nearly $30 million in reserves and described any attempt to consolidate this as comparable to "corporate theft".
Lawrence Yule says a tertiary shakeup proposal would spell disaster for the EIT. Photo File
Current boards would also be sacked, Yule said, and replaced by a subsidiary board.
"Regional leadership groups will be advisory only.
"This is a case of Wellington telling Hawke's Bay what to do.
"Education Minister Chris Hipkins should be addressing the problems where they are and leaving successful institutions like EIT alone."
Hipkins said it appeared National had received a copy of a draft cabinet paper. He did not say when the paper would be going before Cabinet, but confirmed it would not be on Monday.
"We won't be making any comment until after Cabinet has made its decisions."
The NZIST was originally announced in February this year, and would be formed from a merger of 16 industry training organisations.
At the time Hipkins said the Government would ensure strong regional influence by forming Regional Leadership Groups.
"The development of courses and programmes would be consolidated, improving consistency and freeing up resources to expand front-line delivery.
"There will be more sharing of expertise and best-practice, and more use of online, distance, and blended learning."
EIT Deputy CEO Mark Oldershaw said it would definitely be disappointing if the proposals went through as they are, but they still needed to be passed by Cabinet.
"We've been very strong in our lobbying and advocacy to push regional autonomy and ensure regional polytechs are responsive to regional needs," Oldershaw said.
"There is always a risk in this that if it moves to a more centralised agency and centralised structure that we would lose that regional agility."
He said EIT was doing really well, with 2018 student numbers at record levels, and 2019 levels on track to be even higher.
