Community education funding cuts announced

1.00pm

The Government today confirmed a $144 million trimming of funding destined for community education courses.

The announcement follows widespread controversy over community education spending with one polytech offering twilight golf lessons and another giving away CD Roms.

In March Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary) Steve Maharey said the Government was to cut student numbers and subsidies for some courses after swelling student numbers pushed this year's expected budget up to $115 million.

Today Mr Maharey said approximately $144 million of anticipated funding for community education courses would be "reinvested in other higher priority tertiary education courses."

The funding rate for the courses would be cut from $5707 per equivalent full time student to $5000 -- a 12.4 per cent funding cut.

"Substantial growth in both student numbers and total funding for community education that has occurred at a few institutions, particularly over the past year, has led the government to act to ensure that further unexpected increases do not occur over the 2004-2006 period," Mr Maharey said in a statement.

"The funding changes will return overall spending to between 2002 and 2003 levels, with funding available for 2005 and 2006 depending on how much is spent this year."

The Government remained committed to funding community education in the future, Mr Maharey said.

The Institutes of Technology of Polytechnics (ITP NZ) today defended the value of community education courses and said the funding cut deprived second-chance learners educational opportunities.

"Literally tens of thousands of people have benefited from many well targeted courses around the country in the past few years," UTP NZ executive director Jim Doyle said in a statement.

"The funding cuts to community education will severely limit the extent to which all tertiary educational institutes can now deliver in this strategy."

- NZPA