[Greens-Media] TAFE fees should be scrapped not turned into loans

[Edwards, Jon (Sen K. Nettle)]

TAFE fees should be scrapped not turned into loans

18.04.07

Greens Education spokesperson Senator Kerry Nettle today welcomed the
contribution from three leading economists to the debate on the future
of TAFE fees but said that they had jumped to the wrong conclusion.

"Dr Chapman and his colleagues are right to say that prospective TAFE
students are put off by up front fees, but wrong to say fees should be
turned into loans. Instead fees on key courses should be scrapped,"
Senator Nettle said.

"The economy suffers because TAFE fees discourage essential upskilling
and retraining. The answer is to scrap fees. 

"The costs associated with scrapping fees from at least some key TAFE
courses will be offset by the productivity growth this extra training
will supply.

"It would be a mistake to go down the road unversities have travelled
introducing fees and then loans which have become bigger and bigger only
to be replaced by full upfront fees later down the track.

"Education and training must be seen as a prudent investment by
government not a cost. The starting point must be for education to be
free to students, subsidised by government.

"State and Federal Governments should work with the TAFE community to
identify key courses to begin the process of removing fees and
increasing the funding to the sector to handle increased productivity.

Contact - Jon Edwards 0428 213146