By Belinda Selke
SYDNEY — Teachers at Seaforth TAFE have entered their fifth week on the picket line protesting against Northern Sydney Institute of TAFE's decision to close the college last December.
The picket line was set up after the recommendations of a parliamentary inquiry into the closure of Seaforth TAFE were ignored the state Labor government. The inquiry recognised the important service the college provided, especially to "mature age female students, disabled students, ethnic students and youth at risk", and recommended that the decision to close Seaforth in 2000 be reviewed.
NSW minister for education John Aquilina has shown contempt for the concerns of the picketers, who have strong community support. Picketers have twice attempted to present the minister with petitions and have been turned away.
Teachers and supporters are outraged at the way the matter has been handled. They claim that management has been evasive and resorted to lies to justify the closure; despite increasing enrollments last year, staff were told that falling enrollments were a reason for the closure. More than 1800 students were enrolled at Seaforth last year in business, fine arts and continuing education.
Public outrage at the loss of these courses forced concessions from TAFE management. Plans were made to relocate business courses to the nearby Brookvale TAFE. Hasty arrangements have also been made to relocate continuing education courses, like the High School Certificate, to Brookvale.
When staff asked how subjects like chemistry could be taught at Brookvale, a college with no laboratories, they were told that students would have to walk 2 kilometres to use a high school's labs. A few fine arts subjects, such as photography, will be relocated. However, no diploma course in photography will be available in the northern beaches.
The cutbacks and relocation of courses will result in most of the part-time teaching staff at Seaforth losing their jobs.
Maths teacher Gary Morely, one of the picketers, pointed out that the fight is for the defence of public education. According to Morely, the public has not been told what will become of the college. There are suggestions that the government will sell the facility to a private school or education provider.
Support for the save Seaforth TAFE campaign among the local community and students remains strong. The picketers urge supporters to join the picket. Contact 0418 223 214 or visit <http://www.save-seaforth.org>.