Unions NSW: HSC Students hit with fee hikes

Posted on December 17, 2014

More than 75,000 NSW Year 12 students have received their HSC results today and will be starting to think about tertiary education.

Many will go to university and others will take a year off but those hoping to study at TAFE will be hit by the impact of the privatisation of many TAFE courses.

Unions NSW Secretary Mark Lennon says the NSW Government is robbing the next generation of choice by cutting TAFE funding and increasing fees, making many courses unavailable and unaffordable.

“These young adults should be offered as much choice and opportunity as possible to pursue the future they strive for, and that’s where TAFE comes in," Mr Lennon said.

“The Baird Government’s cuts have already seen 800 jobs slashed before Christmas and there is set to be many more in the new year. These cuts are changing the face of vocational education and limiting the choice and opportunities of our young people," he said.

NSW Teachers Federation President Maurie Mulheron said the impact of the government's "Smart and Skilled" policy, which starts in January, was a serious threat to the TAFE system.

"This policy is effectively privatising TAFE, it's a model where public funds are taken from TAFE and given to commercial VET providers," Mr Mulheron said.

"On top of that there are savage hikes in student fees with the proceeds also going to private providers, which will force young people to go into debt even before they gain a qualification," he said.

Unions NSW believes education is a fundamental right and it should be the responsibility of government to ensure that it is accessible to everyone. Unions are calling on the government to cap the amount of funding being stripped from TAFE and handed to private providers.

Unions NSW Mark Lennon said: “The Premier should take note of what happened in Victoria and reverse the cuts that are debilitating our TAFEs across the state.”