The changes coming to the polytechs are more radical than first floated, and in that is the worry. 

This Government, like to be fair most other governments, run a game whereby they run changes up a flagpole to get reaction. If it's radical, they sugar coat it, get you used to it, then they make the details available. That's what the government did yesterday. 

They then seek feedback, that it's not real. They say they seek feedback to be able to say at a later date they were an open and consultative government, it's a ruse. 

Anyway, governments basically do whatever they have the numbers to do. And what this government wants to do is centralise polytechs and training institutes. Now, why they want to do that is even more interesting. Is it because they're socialist leaning, and like all things run out of Wellington by the government? Or because, as they say, in this case, the sector is stuffed and it needs bailing? 

You can't argue with $100 million, that’s what they’ve spent bailing polytechs out. You also can't argue that we have a skills gap, graduates don’t match jobs, haven't for years, hence our endless problems getting talent into the workplace. 

So would a centralised system fix that?

Well, that depends on execution. Our school system is broadly run on a centralised system. Public primary and secondary schools are run on the same principle. In fact, there are plans afoot to make it even more so,  school boards will have powers taken off them to be replaced by larger, more centralised government school boards. 

Will these boards be any good? Or will they be like-minded party hacks pedalling the government agenda? 

You could hardly argue our public school system is a work of art. According to the unions, it’s a mess hence they're semi-permanently on strike. Kids leave too early, skills don’t match the market place, and NCEA is highly dubious in its approach to academic rigour. 

Polytechs are in trouble because of falling roles, but the roles were falling because of the booming economy where kids could get jobs without qualifications. So given that, are polytechs actually in trouble at all?

What about Wintec? Where money and expenditure just seem to have been abused. That's not the systems fault it’s the operators who run the place. 

Centralising a system we assume, because it's not been made clear, will mean fewer teachers, fewer campuses, fewer facilities.  Equally fewer options in fewer places, will the course only be available in Christchurch when you're in Auckland? And if that’s the case, how much talent do you miss out on because the talent won't travel? 

What about learning for learning's sake? If you do a course on motors, but don’t become a mechanic, is that actually wasted time or not? 

The greatest fear, of course, of all is that what I have learned in life is governments don’t actually run things that well at all. They're not good at efficiency, productivity, and delivery, and the more they're involved, the more problematic it is. 

Yes, polytechs have issues. But is more government, more centralised control driven by ideology, really going to fix any of that?