Maryan Street

The government has made it clear that it is not their job to ensure the community's interests are evenly represented in its announcement of 78 out of the 80 government appointments to Polytech Councils yesterday, said Maryan Street, Labour's Tertiary Education Spokesperson.

"Steven Joyce has weighted the ministerial appointments heavily with business experience, which, while extremely useful in many areas of activity, may not be sufficiently responsive to the totality of needs of the communities which the polytechnics serve," she said.

"I am pleased that there are some 15 or so appointments of people who have an education background, and it will be on their shoulders that the burden of ensuring community education interests and needs are reflected in all their diversity.

"But the absence of guaranteed staff or student positions, together with a huge imbalance in the numbers of women amongst the ministerial appointees, does not bode well for adequate representation.

"Polytechs do not just provide skills training to meet business needs. Of course they do that and must continue to do that, but they also provide a way back into education for second chance learners, offer adult and community education and foundation learning opportunities, and frequently respond to those community needs which do not show up as business requirements.

"It is to be hoped that the ministerial appointees and the new, slim-line Councils will be mindful of the range of benefits a community derives from polytechnics," said Maryan Street.