A Maori arts organisation says tertiary education providers need to be up to scratch, so employers know what they're getting when they hire a graduate.

The call comes as Taranaki's Western Institute of Technology revokes 347 Maori Performance Arts qualifications from grads who haven't been taught and assessed properly.

The general manager of Toi Maori Aotearoa, Garry Nicholas, says the polytech needs to be accountable from top to bottom.

“We need to be sure that when a student makes themselves available for employment, their potential employer isn’t being fooled by documentation.”

Mr Nicholas says there's no excuse for education providers not to assess arts students properly.

He says there's no difference between assessing an accounting and an arts student and the benchmarks government authorities have put in place for achievement are clear.

“When you talk about the arts there’s an x-factor which says that they have learnt the trade, they have learnt all the tools, and they are able to present it in a way which lifts the spirit.”