[Greens-Media] TAFE at risk from O'Farrell cuts and privatisation

[John Kaye]

TAFE at risk from O'Farrell cuts and privatisation

Media release: 9 March 2013

Almost four hundred positions have been lost from TAFE in NSW as managers
cope with budget cuts and prepare for the devastating impacts of a training
market that will strip TAFE of all of its core funding for its bread and
butter courses, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.

('TAFE funding cuts raise fears over training skills', Sun Herald, 9 March,
p. 12, http://j.mp/SH140309)

Figures obtained by the Greens through a question on notice to the Minister
for Education, Adrian Piccoli, show that 395 jobs were lost from TAFE last
year, including 260 in the three institutes in Sydney, and 40 in the Hunter
and Illawarra. The full data is available at http://j.mp/qon1403TAFE.

Dr Kaye said: "The cuts so far have devastated TAFE colleges, students and
teachers across NSW but there is far worse to come.

"The O'Farrell government is telling TAFE institutes to prepare for next
year's start to the competitive market for students and funding.

"Managers are desperately shedding every staff members and every course and
support activity that they think can get away with to bring down costs in
the hope they can fend off low cost, low quality private providers.

"The very future of TAFE is being put in question.

"A similar exercise in Victoria saw the public provider go into a chaotic
free-fall, with institutes on the verge of bankruptcy and student number
plummeting.

"The front-line impacts are already being felt by students with special
needs, the unemployed and second chance learners.

"Next year it will reach into the core of TAFE with unacceptable long term
consequences for the future of skills in NSW.

"Students who have fallen behind at school or who have a hearing, sight or
intellectual disability are already being excluded from opportunities to
get an education and improve their skills.

"While they hoped no one was watching, the O'Farrell government has
launched an unprecedented attack on public education that will undermine
the quality of skills training.

"It's not hard to imagine what this means for opportunities for school
leavers and the future of the state's economy.

"The Greens are introducing legislation to reverse the O'Farrell
government's budget cuts and stop the training market.

"We want to challenge every party to come clean on their vision for the
future of TAFE," Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455

-- 
----------------------------------------
John Kaye
Greens NSW MP
phone: 0407 195 455
web: www.john.nsw.greens.org.au
----------------------------------------