Craig Cooper: EIT doesn't need saving, thanks

EIT's leaders have said it isn't going anywhere, and doesn't need saving.

Nuances and subtleties are important when it comes to words.

But even taking into account the vagaries of the English language, National MP Lawrence Yule's "Save Our EIT" petition and campaign has missed its mark.

EIT doesn't need saving - a small but important point that the polytechnic is going to lengths to communicate right now, to make sure students - present and prospective - know they are not going anywhere.

Do they need supporting? Yes.

There is no skirting around the fact these are uncertain time for New Zealand's tertiary education providers.

Yule's petition was in response to the Reform of Vocational Education under the Labour-NZ First government.

In the Ministry of Education's words ... "The Reform of Vocational Education brings together the original Review of the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system, led by the Ministry of Education, and the Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITP) Roadmap 2020, led by the Tertiary Education Commission, which looked at ways to secure a sustainable future for New Zealand's institutes of technology and polytechnics (ITPs)."

Clunky words but essentially, are our ITPs fit for purpose in an ever changing landscape?

And it not, what changes are going to be made that will be best for students, the industry and prospective employers?

In other words, there is going to be a shake-up of the ITP sector.

Much of the present information available on the reform reassures people that nothing is likely to happen in 2019. But 2020 ... look out.

Change is unsettling.

Politically, Yule is duty bound to have something to say about the reform, and he says his view is based on what he is hearing from EIT people - they don't like what they are hearing about the reform.

Not many people do like change, but until the proposals emerge from the process, it is a little early to suggesting EIT needs saving.

Yule - many MPs - may be privy to information about the reform that the public is not.

So here's hoping he is wrong and that there is no need to save EIT.

That's politics, you win some, you lose some.

But it's quite clear EIT isn't prepared to admit any sort of defeat right now.