Representation on Tech. Institute councils

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32802, 30 December 1971, Page 10

Representation on Tech. Institute councils

Students and staff of New Zealand’s 12 Technical Institutes may soon be represented for the first time on the governing councils of the institutes. This is the substance of recommendations resulting from discussions between the Department of Education and the Association of Teachers in Technical Institutes.

The governing bodies of the Technical . Institutes, which will now all be known as “councils,” are still entitled to form their own constitutions but are being recommended to consider staff representation as well as ap-

pointing the principal of an institute to. the institute’s council.

Student representation has been recommended as one member of the council elected by full-time or part-time students. •

Until now, any staff represented on Technical Institute councils were only there by invitation and have not had a vote. No students have representation, although students* associations at some institutes are beginning to press for this.

Election of staff and student representatives to the institute councils will mark a significant step forward for the institutes, as such representation is still denied the governing bodies of teachers* colleges, although the system has been in operation with university councils for some years. The effect of official staff and student representation could be a marked change in the policies of some institute councils, where tradeunion and employer representatives often become locked in disagreements about the relevancy of various courses. Having staff and student representatives, with a vote on hand, could avoid some of the worst of these disagreements.