Roughly 70 per cent of employees at the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education feel motivated to do their best work, but only 46 per cent think communication is satisfactory, according to a new staff survey, with staff reportedly split between feeling there are positive and supportive teams and broader concerns about toxicity, lack of psychological safety and the lack of merit-based appointments, the last of which was the subject of a recommendation made by the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption in 2023.
The survey results come as the Institute has named a former CLP MLA as its new permanent chair 18 months after the resignation of Pat Anderson, and follows the publication of the institute’s 2025 annual report just three months ago, which showed the Institute recorded a $2.4 million deficit, following a $2.2 million deficit the previous year.
The history of Batchelor Institute has been plagued for decades!
The place is a financial black hole!
It produces educational certificates for its customers that have no market value!
Closing it or merging it with that other financial disaster Charles Darwin University are the only options left!
Staff are reporting very very low student numbers compared to the 200+ BIITE staff workforce that are bussed in and and out of Batchelor every day!
Just another black hole in the NT. Poor results from students some 20+ years ago, nothing has improved.
I am disheartened by the old timer BIITE staff (20-25 years ago) speaking of hundreds of contractors, over time, being employed to fix BIITES viability and operational problems!
Each subsequent contractor contradicting the previous contractor!!