ITI Articles

The distinctive contribution of private training establishments (PTEs) was defined very narrowly in the Tertiary Education Strategy (TES) released just before Christmas. A good early draft had been developed by the TEC with ITI and other PTE groups, but it was watered down after wider consultation and Ministerial review.

ITI was concerned at the earlier government definition that stated that PTE provision "augments and complements the provision of public providers". We committed a lot of effort to developing a broader definition that better reflected what PTEs did and could do. The final version, however, states that "investments in PTE contributions will be in line with performance within context of the network and/or capability within the network to respond". Again, the PTE sector is left, in the government's eyes, with a residual role, filling in gaps left by others.

The new TES definition is certainly longer than the old one, but it provides limited opportunities. When it is compared with the detailed, enabling and aspirational definitions for universities, ITPs, wananga and ITOs, it is clear that PTEs do not play a major part in this government's thinking.

On the plus side, the new investment system is going to place a premium on performance and ITI's members are well placed in that regard, having gone through the rigorous Assessments of Strategic Relevance, which will have been conducted for every PTE qualification by the end of 2007. While new initiatives seem to be weighted in favour of the public sector, the government is willing to continue to fund quality provision.