TAFE Organiser Peter de Graaff, Assistant General Secretary (Post School Education) Phil Bradley, TAFE Organiser Maxine Sharkey, Ruth Boydell and Michael Valentine spread the word about the need for increased TAFE funding.

Walkers hope for increased funding

By Kerri Carr

TAFE teachers and supporters are currently walking between Sydney and Canberra to gain support for increased TAFE funding.

Core walkers Michael Valentine and Ruth Boydell left Federation's head office at Surry Hills, with the support of Federation Officers, on April 30.

Mr Valentine teaches at Muswellbrook TAFE and Ms Boydell at Newcastle TAFE.

They have been joined by other walkers for sections of the route.

Mr Valentine said: "It doesn't really matter if one person walks or 50 people walk, as long as the message gets out.

"People are astounded when you tell them what you're doing and then you tell them why," he said.

"TAFE is drastically under funded.

"The accumulated [federal] shortfall [since 1997] is close to $2 billion."

Mr Valentine came up with the idea for a walk to Canberra.

"We always do the same, traditional lobbying -- posters, badges and handouts -- so I thought we should do something different to raise awareness about the federal funding agenda and private training organisations receiving funding at the expense of TAFE," he said.

Mr Valentine plans to walk the whole 329 kilometres, walking about 40 to 50 kilometres per day.

Ms Boydell said she plans to walk as far as she feels comfortable each day of the walk.

"I feel so passionate about it [campaigning for more TAFE funding], I feel I have to do something active about it."

TAFE Teachers Association Secretary Linda Simon said: "It is not often that a group of people feels so passionately about an issue that they will give up their time for nine days to travel to Canberra, walking for part of the way to take [their] message to Federal Parliament."

The walkers and their supporters have visited or will visit Ultimo, Petersham, Bankstown, Liverpool, Macquarie Fields, Campbelltown, Moss Vale, Goulburn and Queanbeyan TAFE colleges along the way.

They have and will meet up with some town mayors along the way and are due to arrive in Canberra on May 8.

Once the walkers get to Canberra they will embark on their traditional annual lobbying of federal politicians about TAFE funding.

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