My PhD research aimed to explore what changes to Aotearoa New Zealand’s tertiary education policies, specifically those focused on adult literacy, could promote equal access for adults with intellectual disabilities. Unfortunately, it appears that the redesign of the vocational education and training system may further exclude them from their educational pathways of choice.
The reposted consultation document proposes cutting a significant proportion of Learner Component funding currently allocated to support disabled learners and others facing barriers to access. This action would contravene multiple objectives for barrier-free access outlined in the Tertiary Education Strategy and would reverse progress towards implementing Article 24.5 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which asks us to “ensure that persons with disabilities are able to access general tertiary education, vocational training, adult education, and lifelong learning without discrimination and on an equal basis with others."
Adults with intellectual disabilities are frequently denied access to open-entry and foundational courses. Anecdotally, reasons include educator attitudes presupposing that these students will not complete their course, an expectation that they should only enroll in courses specifically designed for them, and support issues, with educational providers often requesting that a student bring their own 1:1 support person (where is the funding for that?).
The Special Supplementary Grant and Equity Fund for Disabled Learners are already insufficient. In 2022, the Tertiary Education Commission reported that the paucity of these funds results in an "inability to provide learners identified as having an intellectual disability with regular in-class support" (p. 7). These funds have narrow parameters and underfund the current need. Any repurposing will lead to the exclusion of more adults with intellectual disabilities from lifelong learning.
Please consider responding to the consultation on proposed changes to the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system, especially if you are a disabled person.
Tertiary Education Commission. (2022). 2022 Equity funding for tertiary students with disabilities: Tertiary Education Institutions data reporting. https://lnkd.in/g7CJtxi2
Consultation on proposed changes to the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system.
The Government has announced consultation on proposed changes to the VET system. The consultation will run from 1 August to 12 September 2024.
During the consultation period, the Ministry of Education New Zealand (MoE) and the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) will host information sessions. These will include regional face-to-face meetings in the first four weeks, and online events throughout the period.
To see the regions and dates for face-to-face meetings, please visit our TEC webpage.
https://lnkd.in/gpa3qvgg
Information on venues and dates for meetings will be added progressively to the website as details are confirmed.
To see what is being consulted on and how to make a submission please visit the Ministry of Education (MoE) webpage.
https://lnkd.in/grC677u5
TVET Facilitator|| Guidance and Counselling Coordinator || Sign Language Interpreter ||Event Coordinator
2moHello… I am from Ghana and have submitted my application about a month ago. I need an email or a any point of contact I can make enquiries about my application. I will be very grateful if you assist. Thank you