Opinion: Polytechnic Uncertainty Dampens Christmas Cheer

It’s not likely to be a very happy Christmas for Southern Institute of Technology staff and students, as uncertainty looms over the future of the organisation, jobs and courses.

It’s appalling that staff and students are living in this information vacuum, but it’s even worse that Te Pūkenga management, and indeed Education Minister Chris Hipkins, have consistently failed to provide any clear direction.

Staff morale is at an all-time low, with many saying that the merger has been more about rationalisation than transformation of the vocational education sector.

Locally, staff also tell me that they’re feeling uncertain about the future with the lack of job security creating stress.

And it’s unbelievable that after three years and $200 million in Te Pukenga set-up costs, Southland staff and students still have no definitive answer on what SIT will look like going forward, or how they will fit into the new structure.

News this week that Te Pūkenga is splashing out hiring eight new co-leaders, each earning between $200,000 and $350,000 a year, while SIT teaching and support staff are on tenterhooks over the future of their jobs, is a cruel blow.

Particularly when there’s already been a three percent budget cut and freeze on hiring polytechnic staff in August and last month,  another $25 million in polytechnic cuts, with teaching and support staff jobs likely to go.

However, how these cuts will impact locally is still up in the air.

In 2019, the minister promised that his polytechnic mega-merger would improve vocational training and benefit staff and students, but his model has failed to deliver, with broken promises, budget blow-outs and uncertainty abounding.

Now, with the close of the academic year fast approaching, time is running out for any specific announcements to be made, once again leaving staff and students in the dark.