Despite having the lowest completion of qualifications out of the country's Institutions of Technology and Polytechnics, the business director at NorthTec says he stands by their enrolment policy and isn't taking any drastic measures like making passing easier for students.
The Tertiary Education Commission completes annual summaries of the performances
of all 18 Institute of Technology and Polytechnics around New Zealand, known as Educational Performances Indicators (EPIs).
NorthTec's 2012 EPI showed it was below the median for three categories and had the lowest score for the proportion of students who complete a qualification in a given year - 64 per cent.
"We are continuing to encourage second-chance education," business director at NorthTec Phil Giles said. "The difficulty we face is that we do not exclude anyone.
"A good slice of our student population are enrolled in trades area for a national qualification with 300 or more unit standards. Our students might complete 120 in a year then go off into their trade and complete an apprenticeship."
