Opinion: SIT Future Uncertain With Govt Polytechnic Mega-merger

I’m deeply concerned about the future of the Southern Institute of Technology as the Government’s mega merger structure falters.

I am devastated that these so-called reforms have left the sector in a far worse position than when the Education Minister began his doomed restructuring plan three years ago.

And I despair that the organisation which the Government promoted would turn the ITO and polytechnic sector around, has led to significant deterioration.

It’s heart-breaking for me to see a vocational training sector like SIT, that’s been so important to Southland’s economy, being run into the ground.

And it won’t stop there, with Te Pukenga aiming to combine polytechnic entities and unify study programmes.

SIT’s nursing degree, for example, will become part of a nationwide, unified programme, and it will be required to start charging fees. This will effectively force the demise of zero fees in Invercargill – and destroy the point of difference that has made SIT so special.

It will decimate enrolments, significantly reduce the number of graduates entering the Southland workforce, and will mean our polytechnic loses thousands of dollars – remembering that before zero fees we had about 1500 students, and after zero fees enrolments more than tripled to 5000.

Chris Hipkins has stated on several occasions that SIT would not lose zero fees, but when our individual courses are destined to disappear like this, and be merged into a unified national fee-charging programme, his promises have a hollow ring to them.