Uale Poe Poe, above, took an automotive course at a Manukau Institute of Technology trades academy in his Year 12 year at Tuakau College in 2015. Numbers are now being expanded by 1060. Photo / File
Uale Poe Poe, above, took an automotive course at a Manukau Institute of Technology trades academy in his Year 12 year at Tuakau College in 2015. Numbers are now being expanded by 1060. Photo / File
A pilot scheme enabling Year 13 students to dual-enrol in both school and a polytechnic has been scrapped to fund more places in trades academies.
Education Minister Chris Hipkins says the "dual pathway" scheme for Year 13 students will end when a three-year pilot finishes at the endof this year, and the $7.5 million saving will be used to fund 1060 extra places in trades academies.
"It would have been nice to see it [dual pathways] continue," he said. "But we are pretty good at teaching Year 13 students, so I would say that the effect would be less on the Year 13 students than if the cuts had been made to the Year 12 programmes."
Dr Stuart Middleton says it was "a sound decision" to axe Year 13 dual pathways, rather than Year 12 trades academies, if cuts had to be made. Photo / File
He said most of the country's 23 trades academies were aimed at Year 12 students and operated for one day a week, compared with two days a week for the Year 13 dual pathway students.
Manukau has about 400 students in 15 trades academies, including three academies in South Auckland schools. By contrast, it has only 160 Year 13 dual pathways students.
"They are probably adding more places in the trades academies [than the number being lost in dual pathways]," he said.
"The trades academies are very successful. Fifty per cent of those students subsequently enrol in a polytech course. That is a very high level of progress."
