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Submissions

NZ Parliament Education and Training (Vocational and Training System) Amendment Bill

Posted in Submission, Government; Tagged Maori sovereignty, Accessibility, Education; Posted 8 months ago by DPA Less than a minute to read

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To: NZ Parliament
Date: June 2025

 

Purpose

This joint submission by the Disabled Persons Assembly (DPA) and the National Disabled Students' Association (NDSA) opposes the Education and Training (Vocational Education and Training System) Amendment Bill and asks the Education and Workforce Select Committee to recommend that it does not proceed. Their goal is to prevent detrimental changes, particularly cuts to equity funding and diminished representation for disabled and Māori students, ensuring accessible and equitable vocational education and training in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Summary of DPA submission

DPA and NDSA oppose the Education and Training (Vocational Education and Training System) Amendment Bill, urging the Education and Workforce Select Committee to recommend that it not proceed. They highlight that disabled students face significant barriers in accessing vocational education, noting that while 10.7% of disabled students aged 18 and over were enrolled in tertiary education in 2023, 38% of disabled people (aged 15+) not currently in post-secondary education would like to do so but face numerous barriers. These barriers include the impacts of their disability/health condition, course affordability, transport difficulties, and the need for personalized support. Significant unmet needs include one-on-one support (3.8%), assistive technology (3.8%), and accessibility of training facilities (4.1%).

The primary concern is the equity funding cuts that are already leading to the loss of disability coordinators and other support roles within the Te Pūkenga network, even prior to the legislation being progressed. DPA and NDSA are very concerned about the impacts of these cuts, as they contradict the government's stated aims to encourage more beneficiaries (including disabled beneficiaries) into further education and training. This withdrawal of equity funding is believed to further exacerbate educational inequities for disabled students, hindering their ability to successfully complete courses and creating greater barriers to entering the vocational training system. These changes will particularly impact disabled women, who already experience lower participation rates in tertiary education.

DPA and NDSA support the principle that vocational education should build a pipeline of skilled employees. However, they express concern that the new vocational education system, premised on industry needs, coupled with equity funding cuts, will undermine industry skills boards' ability to serve disabled students, especially if training places are not adequately funded to meet support needs. They also worry that the creation of a competitive market under the new system will lead to greater duplication and fragmentation, rather than collaboration and innovation, which will negatively impact the disability sector's ability to offer high-quality training and upskilling.

A critical issue is that Section 318 diminishes representation of equity groups, including disabled people, and undermines Te Tiriti o Waitangi. This section does away with the need to appoint Māori, student, and staff representatives to the new polytechnic councils, thereby diminishing the ability of students and staff, including disabled students and staff, to make their views known. When considering Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the Bill significantly downgrades the previous requirement that Te Pūkenga "must operate" in ways that give effect to Te Tiriti by merely "ensuring" polytechnics and providers do so. The potential downgrading of Māori representation and voice, especially for tāngata whaikaha disabled Māori, means the Act will contravene Te Tiriti and harm their interests in equitable participation and partnership.

 

Key Recommendation/Finding:

DPA and NDSA oppose the Education and Training (Vocational Education and Training System) Amendment Bill and ask that the Education and Workforce Select Committee recommend that it does not proceed.

 

Supporting Statement 1:

Detrimental changes are already being made to the system with equity funding, which supported the needs of disabled, Māori, and Pacific students, being cut by the government, leading to the loss of crucial support roles.

 

Supporting Statement 2:

The Bill, particularly Section 318, diminishes representation of equity groups, including disabled people, and significantly downgrades the previous mandatory requirement to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, harming the interests of tāngata whaikaha disabled Māori.

 
 

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DPA Submission 2506 NZ Parliament Education and Training (Vocational and Training System) Amendment Bill (DOCX)

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