[Greens-Media] Rees must say 'no' to COAG's TAFE privatisation push

[John Kaye]

Rees must say 'no' to COAG's TAFE privatisation push
 
Media release: 29 October 2008
 
The nation's leaders are abandoning public vocational education and training without community consultation. Under a Council of Australian Governments (COAG) proposal, the TAFE system would be starved of funds and eventually replaced by a series of private providers, increasingly funded by fees through HECS-like loans, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.
 
Commenting on a story on page 5 of today's Sydney Morning Herald ('Push to privatise apprentice training'), Dr Kaye said: "The state premiers and the prime minister are colluding in secret to push through one of Australia's biggest privatisations since Telstra.
 
"More than $4 billion a year currently provided by state and federal governments to Australian TAFE colleges will be taken away and put up for competitive tender.
 
"Under the COAG proposal, TAFE would not have any guarantied funding. It would be forced to compete with lower quality private providers for money to pay for teachers, materials, support staff and operating costs. 
 
"On the cusp of a global recession, Australia's trade training sector is being driven towards a voucher-based, user choice and pay model, without the consent of the voters and without fully considering the long term consequences.
 
"The nation's leaders are jeopardising the quality of vocational education and training on which Australia's wealth and social cohesion have largely depended. 
 
"This is about cutting costs at the expense of losing an educated workforce. It is about driving cheap, employer-specific training that will de-skill Australia and undermine the ability of workers to innovate.
 
"The Rudd government is looking for a low rent boost to the numbers of 'trained' workers by sacrificing quality. 
 
"NSW Premier Nathan Rees and his Education Minister Verity Firth must lead the charge to protect TAFE from Julia Gillard's privatisation agenda.
 
"They must block this proposal when COAG meets on 17 November," Dr Kaye said. 
 
For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455 
 
 
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John Kaye
Greens member of the NSW Parliament
phone: (02) 9230 2668
fax: (02) 9230 2586
mobile: 0407 195 455
email: john.kaye at parliament.nsw.gov.au
web: www.johnkaye.org.au
 
mail: Parliament House, Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000