Campaigning to freeze TAFE fees: Wollongong TAFE student Janelle Trigg, teacher Rob Long, student Leanore Garnon, opposition parliamentary secretary for education Robyn Parker MLC, shadow minister for education and skills development Andrew Stoner MP and Wollongong TAFE student Weldon Neville. NSW Shadow Minister for Education and Skills Development Andrew Stoner introduced a Private Members Bill in the NSW Parliament on December 6 to freeze TAFE fees at the 2007 level.

Community support needed to help TAFE students

By Diane Hague

It's easy to tell the Premier and Minister you oppose the proposed TAFE student fee hike.

The NSW Government has proposed to increase TAFE fees by around nine per cent in 2008, despite an undertaking by a previous Education Minister that fees from 2004 onwards would only increase by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Federation has launched a community campaign through the "I support TAFE" website, opposing the proposed fees increase. The following fees will apply if we do not manage to stop the changes:

Certificates 1 and 11 -- $418

Certificate 111 -- $654

Certificate 1V -- $890

Diploma -- $1184

Advanced Diploma -- $1420.

These apply to all students, full time or part time. Apprentices who get a rebate will have to pay $480 and other apprentices and trainees $394. For the first time, most government benefit recipients will have to pay $50 up front.

In his state election policy announcement this year, Training our Workforce, NSW Premier Morris Iemma said: "There will be a guaranteed training place at TAFE for all under-18s who are either not at work or at high school". How can you guarantee a place to young people who will not be able to afford these high fees?

TAFE teachers have been lobbying State Members of Parliament, including Education and Training Minister John Della Bosca, and have taken stopwork action on behalf of their students.

If we are to win this campaign, we need community support. Please go to www.isupportTAFE.com.au and tell the Premier and the Minister for Education and Training what you think of the proposal to increase fees.

Campaigning to freeze TAFE fees: Wollongong TAFE student Janelle Trigg, teacher Rob Long, student Leanore Garnon, opposition parliamentary secretary for education Robyn Parker MLC, shadow minister for education and skills development Andrew Stoner MP and Wollongong TAFE student Weldon Neville. NSW Shadow Minister for Education and Skills Development Andrew Stoner introduced a Private Members Bill in the NSW Parliament on December 6 to freeze TAFE fees at the 2007 level.

Diane Hague is Administration Officer (Media and Communications).

TAFE must listen to teachers, education staff, students, community and industry

For further information

December 2007 contents