TAFE Teacher Action On Program Cuts

Date: 13 November 2002

"A large meeting of teachers from the Personal, Community & Health Services Faculty have met at Wollongong TAFE Campus to discuss the slashing of programs in 2003. Sections represented at this meeting comprised Welfare, Child Studies, Nursing and Hair Dressing from both Shellharbour and Wollongong Campuses," Peter de Graaff, NSW Teachers Federation TAFE Organiser said today.

"The Illawarra Institute has informed teachers that it plans to cut Aged Care courses, severely reduce Nursing courses, reduce the number of places and limit articulation from Certificate 3 to Certificate 4 and to Diploma courses. These cuts will be across the whole of the Institute."

"As a cost saving measure some sections have been instructed to cut short teaching programs this Semester from 18 weeks to 17 weeks. This penny-pinching exercise will impact on the quality of programs, and female part-time casual teachers will bear the brunt of this strategy through loss of income."

"Although other sections have received some cuts it has not been as to the same degree as in the Personal, Community & Health Services Faculty. This Faculty is dominated by female teachers and female students, and has been considered to be a high growth area for TAFE enrolments to meet community needs and employment opportunities. On the face of it the Institute appears to be acting in a discriminatory way by savagely reducing programming in this area. TAFE should be for everyone, and clearly it is time to give it more funding so that it can operate effectively."

"Teachers, at their meeting, resolved that cuts to courses be rescinded or further action would be taken. Staff of the Personal, Community & Health Services Faculty at the meeting demanded that the Illawarra and South Coast Community receive sufficient funding of TAFE Vocational and Education training services to avoid programming cuts in 2003."

"Teachers also condemned the discounting and compression of current courses by reducing the number of teaching weeks as short-sighted, and as budget driven constraints that attack the quality of course delivery. The meeting also expressed its grave concern that part-time casual workers are bearing the brunt of these strategies."

"The Federation calls on the Institute Director and the Minister to ensure that TAFE programs are fully funded and meet community need. Cuts to programs in Personal, Community & Health Services will only lead to industrial action and further resentment in the Illawarra and South Coast that needs of the community and employment opportunities are being lost."

For further information

Contact:	John Hughes, NSWTF Media Officer
Union:	Labor Council of NSW
Phone:	(02) 9217 2100
Contact Mobile:	0417 672 104

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