[Greens-Media] TAFE NSW to be pushed even closer to the brink

[John Kaye]

TAFE NSW to be pushed even closer to the brink

Media release: 13 December 2015

TAFE is set to lose even more if its secure budget next year, according to
Greens NSW MP John Kaye.

('TAFE to be forced to compete for half its funding", Sun Herald, 13
December, p. 5, http://j.mp/sh151213)

The Greens have seen documentation showing almost half of TAFE NSW's 2016
funding will come from competition with private providers.

Dr Kaye said: "The uncertainty in TAFE's future budgets created by a
growing reliance on contestable sources is pushing the public system to the
point of collapse.

"It also risks creating a state-based integrity crisis to match the
national VET FEE-HELP scandals.

"It's as if Skills Minister Barilaro has no idea what is happening in the
private sector he is exposing TAFE to.

"At the exact time that Australians are discovering that unrestrained
public funding of private providers leads to large-scale rorting and
exploitation, Skills Minister John Barilaro is throwing TAFE into even more
competition with non-government providers.

"TAFE in NSW is about to suffer the same loss of budget security that
caused the collapse of the public system in Victoria, turning it into a
minority provider that struggles to maintain any position in the market.

"Management will lose any ability to plan for the system's future.

"The inevitable consequence will be more teachers lost, more hours cut from
courses and yet more support services slashed.

"Meanwhile low-integrity private providers will access even more of the
public budget.

"Skills training is being privatised by a Minister who has little sympathy
for TAFE, a callous disregard for students and apparently no understanding
of the consequences of unconstrained competition.

"If the Baird government wants to avoid the Victorian catastrophe, it must
immediately freeze contestable funding at less than 15 percent of the total
budget.

"TAFE managers should know that their budgets are secure and available for
them to plan next year's courses," Dr Kaye said.

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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