TAFE Bulletin - Brumby's reforms will privatise our TAFEs

How do you privatise the public TAFE system? By introducing higher fees, HECS for TAFE students and contestability. The State Government is planning all this and more.

During the past few days, Victorian and Federal Government politicians have made comments in the media about the introduction of what is commonly known as the Victorian Skills Reform policy. The union has written a number of articles and bulletins about the implications of this policy for the public TAFE system, TAFE teachers and our students.

We have also made a submission to the government's Discussion Paper on the Skills Reform outlining our opposition to proposed reforms. There is an article in the AEU News August edition, p12, setting out our concerns. Other information is available here.

The Victorian government is planning massive changes to our TAFE system that could seriously endanger jobs, increase student fees for Diploma and Advanced Diploma qualifications in the first instance and then potentially to all qualification levels. All this will lead to the effective privatisation of our public TAFE system.

We know that our TAFE system is the most effective and efficient in Australia. It is woefully underfunded, and staff are overworked and underpaid for the amazing work they do.

The AEU and the NTEU are working together to let Premier Brumby and the TAFE Minister Jacinta Allan know that we won't stand for these destructive changes.

Visit www.ourtafesmatter.com.au/mp.html and send them an email. Just fill out your name and email address and click send. Let the government know that you support our TAFEs.

Don't let the Victorian government undermine our public TAFE system.

Please send an email now! We need a massive response effort from TAFE teachers to this outrageous policy.

MARY BLUETT
Branch President

GILLIAN ROBERTSON
Vice President, TAFE and adult provision