15 May 2014

Nothing for regional polytechnics in budget

The government needs to invest in our regions not just the cities, said TEU vice-president Sandra Grey.

"Today's budget has scant new money for tertiary education, and what there is, is targeted at the minister's pet business projects, rather than the needs of most staff and students."

"The main tertiary education fund, the Student Achievement Component, which funds basic teaching and learning, has again risen by less than inflation [1]. This is the budget line regional polytechnics needed to rise to restore the $60 million dollars of cuts they have suffered [2] under Joyce's four years of ministerial stewardship," said Sandra Grey.

"Our regional polytechnics are important to their communities - they give jobs, opportunities and skills. By strangling them Minister Joyce is denying the regions opportunities to prosper."

Sandra Grey says the Prime Minister's talk of future budget cuts is reckless when tertiary education needs so much funding restored to repair the damage of recent years' cuts.

[1] The Student Achievement Component (SAC) Rises from 2,051 billion budgeted in 2013 to $2,063 billion budgeted in 2014. CPI for 2014 is 1.5 percent, which means should have risen to $2,082 billion to keep up with inflation.

[2] See our pre-budget comment at http://teu.ac.nz/2014/05/assault-regional-polytechnics/

ENDS

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