National MP’s Simeon Brown and Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi have launched a petition to help save Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) from the Government’s “radical proposal” to merge all polytechs across New Zealand into one nationwide megapolytechnic.
Under the Government’s proposals, every aspect of the vocational education sector is under attack, they said in a media statement..
“Apprentices are being sent back to polytechnics, polytechnics are being amalgamated into legacy campuses, jobs are being lost, cash and community assets will be centrally controlled, and regional autonomy is being stripped away,” they said.
“What this means locally is that MIT will be merged into one nationwide mega-polytech which will make decisions on local skills needs, what courses are available locally and local apprenticeship training.
The reforms will also mean that cash reserves held by MIT will be snatched up by the new mega-polytechnic which will then decide how these funds are used in our region, they said.
“These changes will be disastrous for regional education and apprenticeships however the Government is pushing ahead with ideology over what is best for students and regional New Zealand.”
They continued: “We are launching a petition which urges the Government to not go ahead with merging MIT into the nationwide mega-polytech and to retain local decision making and assets in the community.
We urge locals to sign this petition and stand with National as we seek to ensure we retain local autonomy so that MIT can make decisions for our regional skill needs.
National supports apprentices and regional polytechnics and we will fight for their voice and autonomy in these ideological educational reforms.
The petition can be signed at www.kanwaljitsinghbakshi.national.org.nz/save_mit
