Governance change will shrink polytech council
Jackson Payne
CHANGES to polytechnic governance debated in Parliament yesterday will replace Tairawhiti Polytechnic Council’s four community representatives with one, if the bill is voted in.
The Education Amendment Bill will shrink polytechnic councils from a maximum of 20 to eight.
Tairawhiti Polytechnic Council has four community places. They are held by Te Runanga o Ngati Porou, Te Runanga o Turanganui a Kiwa, the Wairoa-Waikaremoana Trust Board and the Maori Women’s Welfare League.
Council chairman Geoff Milner said this would not change the way the council worked.
“We will have the same perspective as a smaller body in the future and that is to help provide the best possible education.
“I understand the reasons for the proposed changes in governance, and that’s to give the Government greater ability and greater speed to respond to polytechs’ finances.”
It was to align the sector with the way other government agencies were run.
The new formation of the councils will include four ministerial appointees, the chief executive, one student representative, one member elected by the academic board and one appointed by the council.
Education Minister and East Coast MP Anne Tolley said polytechnics needed strong governance because they were “extremely important” for communities.
“The sector has told me that governance is unwieldy at the moment,” she said.
“This will enable us to act more quickly and in a less intrusive way to support councils.”
The community representatives cannot comment until the council meets on Monday.