Unions NSW: Welcome to higher education week!

Welcome to higher education week! This week is about celebrating how important universities have been in our lives. Whether you went to university to start your career, were the first in your family to graduate, or you’re raising children who want to study at uni, higher education means something to us all. But our public universities are under threat: Tell the new Education Minister to stop $100k degrees. This week we’re reminded of the rampant and far-reaching cuts the current government has inflicted on universities, as well as their plan to deregulate uni fees, allowing students to be charged exorbitant amounts of money for education. If the Liberal Party get their way a veterinary degree would increase from $52,000 to a whopping $148,000 — nearly 3 times the amount! We want the best and brightest to attend our universities, not just the richest. Send the minister a message to say you support quality education for all.  They are certainly starting to feel the pressure. New Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and the new Minister for Education, Simon Birmingham, this week indicated they might shelve their higher education reforms. But not because they don’t believe in them — because they are having trouble ‘selling’ them. We have a chance to turn the heat up and make it clear we won’t accept $100,000 degrees — not now, not ever. Higher education is not a privilege for the rich, it’s a right for everyone. We won’t allow the Liberal party to lock out those who have all the capabilities of attending university, but just cannot afford it. Tell the new Minister, Simon Birmingham, why we need to keep higher education for all. In union, Emma Maiden Assistant Secretary