Stop privatisation of TAFE by stealth

18/03/10 1:00 pm

The Greens have called on both Labor and Liberal to commit to greater protection of our publicly funded TAFE sector.

“TAFE is being privatised by stealth,” said Greens MLC Mark Parnell.

“The Rann Government's model of TAFE 'contestability' is nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to cut funds to the sector. The Liberal’s silence on the issue, and their previous track record, does not inspire confidence either.

"At a time when quality skills training is needed most, driving TAFE towards a privatisation model, with limited community debate and without fully considering the long term consequences, is unnecessarily reckless," he said.

Concerns have been raised recently about covert plans to close the TAFE Panorama campus. This is the latest in a series of signs which point to a TAFE system under considerable stress as its forced to ‘compete’ against private providers who ‘cherry-pick’ the cheapest courses without having to meet TAFE’s wider social obligations.

“It is essential that publicly funded resources are not sold off cheap to private providers. Many private VET programs are being run using course content which was created using public money. We all paid for those courses, yet private operators are reaping the benefits rather than public TAFEs. More needs to be done to protect that public investment,” Mr Parnell said.

“Government funding to TAFE is still far too low and this shortfall will become even more of a problem as our state transitions into the industries and products of the future.

“Workers in South Australia’s old manufacturing industries, as well as those graduating from schools, are crying out for new skills and new training. We need to start on that today if we’re going to be ready for tomorrow.

“A commitment to a vibrant, well resourced, fully public TAFE system is a vital first step,” he said.

printer friendly version