NMIT plans consultation on disability

The Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology will engage in a consultation process with affected parties over its decision to downsize a programme that educates students with intellectual learning disabilities.

In December last year, NMIT announced that its Supported Training Programme, which offers places to 120 students with various intellectual disabilities, was under a review that could result in the number of places being slashed to 25, saving about $34,000 a year.

The polytechnic came under fire for its decision from many of those affected who put pressure on it to amend its review proposal.

They argued there had been no adequate consultation with students, parents or agencies.

NMIT agreed to keep the programme in its current form until halfway through this year and offer places for up to 50 people on the new programme.

Chief executive Tony Gray said he was looking to get a group of "interested parties" together to look at how big the issue was of giving tertiary education to those with intellectual learning disabilities.

"I don't see it as just what NMIT can do. We want to know what the totality of the problem is and I think NMIT can play a part in finding out."

Mr Gray said he wanted to bring together parents, schools and possibly agencies to help answer that question.

About 85 students are signed up to the programme.

Mr Gray said there was a view that NMIT did the wrong thing with the review proposal, but felt that it was not just the polytechnic's problem.

"At the end of the day, with hindsight, perhaps we would have given more opportunity for people to have an input maybe. One of the issues is that we are dealing with such a wide and diverse group of people.

"How does NMIT deal with that? It is pretty hard, so we will see what happens."

Mr Gray said it was not all NMIT's responsibility to make programmes available to learners with intellectual disabilities.

"We can't do necessarily all of it, but we can play our part as a responsible community-based institution."

He was looking to organise the meeting for the end of the month.

 Disruption – page 4

- © Fairfax NZ News

Newest First

Oldest First