TAFE cuts in NSW budget call for national reform

Off the back of the savage TAFE cuts in the NSW budget, the Greens are calling on the Abbott government and the Labor opposition to agree to rewrite COAG agreements so TAFE can again be a well-resourced public vocational education and training provider.

"News that NSW TAFE numbers have plummeted in the past three years, a trend occurring around the country, highlights the need for the federal government to urgently change the federal rules TAFE operates under," Greens technical and higher education spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon said.

"The current COAG agreement adopted under the former Labor government that requires state and territory governments to marketise their vocational education and training systems and to introduce loans needs to be scrapped.

"The public vocation education sector is in crisis while private colleges are making millions as a result of the COAG agreement.

"No politician can ignore what is happening to TAFE and the consequences for Western Sydney and the rest of Australia. Nor can they ignore all the evidence of rorting by private colleges and the cheap, grubby tactics that some of them engage in.
"The future of TAFE is going to depend on prioritising budget spending on the public TAFE system and as long as the current COAG agreement is in place, this is not going to happen.

"The Greens want to see public money going to private providers only if TAFE is unable to provide the training," said Senator Rhiannon.

Contact - Brami Jegan 0487 350 880