TAFE student fees campaign launched

New protest letter posted on I support TAFE website

	I support TAFE

The NSW Government has proposed to increase TAFE fees by around 9% in 2008, despite an undertaking by a previous Education Minister that fees from 2004 onwards would only increase by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The Teachers 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, Morris Iemma, Premier of NSW, said that 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 John Della Bosca, Minister for Education and Training, and have taken stopwork action on behalf of their students.

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

For further information

©2000-2002 NSWTF Online is a resource for teachers
provided by the NSW Teachers Federation.
[Authorisation of election comment] [Privacy]

http://www.nswtf.org.au/media/tafe/20071203_fees.html
Last Modified: 03 Dec 2007