[Greens-Media] Baird government training market will slam door on people with disability

[John Kaye]

Baird government training market will slam door on people with disability

Media release: 11 May 2014

Northern Sydney Institute of TAFE internal documents obtained by the Greens
show that under the training entitlements market being developed by the
Baird government, funding for students with disabilities will be cut from
$1.2 million to less than $138,000.

('Disabled TAFE students out in cold' Sun Herald, 11 May, p. 16,
http://j.mp/sh140511)

With just 12 percent of the current budget, students with intellectual,
physical, hearing, vision and mental illness additional needs will be
excluded from TAFE when the 'Smart and Skilled' market begins next year.

The pricing regulator IPART recommended to Education Minister Adrian
Piccoli that students with disability attract a loading of 10 percent of
the base cost. Providers would be able to claim a maximum of one loading
per student even where for people with multiple additional needs.

Greens NSW MP John Kaye said: "The figures for colleges in Northern Sydney
are typical of what will happen to TAFE across NSW. Next year's competitive
market for training is going to slam the door on students with additional
needs.

"TAFE will no longer be able to provide educational opportunities for
people who are hearing or vision impaired or with other high support needs.

"TAFE's impressive track record of assisting hearing impaired students to
become electricians and vision impaired people to embark on careers as
social workers is about to succumb to impossible budget constraints.

"The NSW Coalition is throwing up barriers to the social inclusion of
people with disability.

"Providing a flat 10 percent loading for special needs students is an
invitation to the private providers to rort the system.

"Profit-oriented training companies can focus on recruiting students with
mild mental health issues that are well managed by medication or treatment.
These private providers will then collect the additional funds despite
having no extra costs.

'Meanwhile TAFE will be left with the students with expensive support needs
whose funding is a pitiful fraction of the real costs," Dr Kaye said.

Note: Documents obtained by Greens available on request

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455

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