By Jennifer Thompson
SYDNEY — TAFE teachers, students and support staff will join the national day of action for higher education on April 1. They will be protesting against federal and state funding cuts to TAFE.
The TAFE Teachers Association, part of the NSW Teachers Federation, has authorised teachers to stop work between 12.30 and 4pm to join the rally and march on April 1. They will be joined by TAFE non-teaching staff, members of the Public Service Association (PSA), who have also been badly affected by the cuts.
The Teachers Federation says that over the last two years, two rounds of"efficiency cuts" have reduced federal funding to TAFE by $230 million. This is on top of a $70 million cut from Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) growth funds.
The results have been increased student fees, a smaller range of TAFE courses, and increased class sizes. As well, there has been a $1.8 billion cut to labour market programs and attempts to privatise the Adult Migrant Education Services.
In 1998, "user choice funding" has been introduced, diverting up to 20% of funding ($500 million) from TAFE to private providers. The 1998-2000 ANTA agreement requires new enrolment growth to be funded through "efficiencies".
PSA members, who include clerical and direct class-support staff, are also angry about the cuts, although the PSA failed to endorse the April 1 rally. The Sydney Institute of Technology workplace group is protesting the way the cuts are passed from federal to state government, to TAFE, to each institute and then to each division and section, resulting in job losses, unfilled positions and an increased workload.
As well as targeting the federal government, they are calling for more funding from the state government and an end to the diversion of resources to the "Olympic black hole". They are also demanding that TAFE management stop cutting staff, making staff do the work of other positions and leaving positions unfilled to save money.