Larry Williams Drive

Former Otago Polytechnic chief executive Phil Ker has called for an apology from Education Minister Chris Hipkins for turning the country's polytechnic education system into "a national disgrace". It comes in the wake of last week's apology from Te Pūkenga's acting chief executive over its beleaguered financial situation and its delays in transitioning the country's polytechnics into a single entity. However, Hipkins said the system was no longer sustainable and change was necessary. Ker agreed change was needed, but believed the problems the system faced were not being addressed. "The so-called reforms are basically a solution for the wrong problem. "Actually, I think they were simply an ego trip on the Minister of Education's part, to be frank." Ker told the Otago Daily Times the core issue was the inadequacy of funding for the polytechnic sector, and between now and the final transition, there would need to be severe staff cuts across the entire network of providers and subsidiaries. "I'd be staggered if t