State government misinformed on state of Victoria’s TAFE sector
03 February 2012
The AEU has joined the call by the Victorian TAFE Association to wind back the Skills Reform funding cuts, warning that these cuts could devastate the Victorian TAFE sector.
The AEU also fiercely denies claims by the Higher Education and Skills Minister Peter Hall in today's Age that TAFEs are running a scaremongering campaign.
AEU Victorian branch president Mary Bluett said that it was imperative that the State Government ruled out cutting further funding from TAFEs under the Essential Services Commission recommendations. She called on Minister Hall to reinstate the 25% differential cut from major Victorian TAFEs he announced late last year.
"Mr Hall's claims that Victorian TAFEs are running a scaremongering campaign are completely false and we applaud Victorian TAFEs for being open and transparent to their students, teachers and the community about the changes being made to the sector.
"Private providers wanting to make money have blown out the budget by over-enrolling students in courses with limited job prospects. TAFEs are being forced to pay for the private providers' excesses.
"Minister Hall justified the cuts to TAFE by saying there had been massive increases in private provider enrolments. An example of these increases, Minister Hall said, are a 440% increase in fitness enrolments.
"Under this new policy, those who have undertaken courses at this level are now not entitled to any government funded support at the same level. Instead they have to pay full costs just like an international student. For example if they have done a Certificate 3 in Fitness and then decide to study a Certificate 3 in Child Care because they couldn't get a job in the fitness industry, it will cost them about $5000; but many courses cost as much as $10,000 or even more.
"Our TAFEs are bleeding and it is the 365,000 TAFE students in Victoria who will feel the impacts of these funding cuts.
"We are proud of the TAFE brand and the quality education that TAFE students receive. If the State Government proceeds with further cuts, then they are putting this quality on the line.
"The AEU will stand by Victorian TAFEs who are being hit hard by the State Government's decision to reduce funding to TAFES, while increasing funding to private providers," Ms Bluett said.
Join the fight against the TAFE cuts — go to tafe4all.org.au and add your voice.
