‘Polytechnics lack teachers, classrooms’

Press, 5 March 1988, Page 33

‘Polytechnics lack teachers, classrooms’

PA Nelson Young people are being encouraged by the Government |to enter job training but polytechnic institutes lack teachers and classrooms to cope with student demands, according to the president of the Association of Polytechnics, Mrs Alison Roxburgh.

The association was concerned about cons traints preventing poly technics being able to pro vide enough places or education and trainini programmes, she said, i

Programmes in high demand included computing, nursing,, secretarial work and tourism. Most polytechnics were "considerably oversubscribed" and lack of money prevented more staff and classrooms being provided which in turn kept many students away. “Polytechnics are certainly not keeping up with current needs,” Mrs Roxburgh said. “If these people are going to get training more money has to be put into the sector to enable us to

cope," she said: Long waiting lists were normal for many polytechnic classes and training was becoming particularly important for getting jobs.

“New Zealand is very short of people with skills,” she said.

Mrs Roxburgh said negotiations were in progress to ensure) the Government understood ’ the need to improve the staffing ratio and to maintain a viable capital; works building programme in polytechnics. j ( i