Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It has been two months since the New South Wales Liberal government decided to slash funding to education by $1.7 billion. This decision will leave government, private and Catholic schools in a very precarious position, with some having no choice other than to cut jobs, raise fees and compromise on class sizes.

Ordinary people in our communities across the state, including my local community of Fowler, are standing up on behalf of our young generations. They know that education is paramount. I have had an enormous response to a petition calling on the O'Farrell government to overturn its decision, with 1,500 local residents having voiced their concern to me via the petition and many more having joined the campaign in other ways.

Besides primary and high schools being directly affected by the New South Wales government's decision, our TAFE colleges are also at great risk as a result of these funding cuts. As part of this brutal education cost-cutting, 800 TAFE jobs will go over the next four years. Positions held by highly qualified and dedicated teachers will be either lost or replaced with cheaper options. Student fees will increase by 9½ per cent and student concession fees will almost double. As demonstrated in Queensland and Victoria, severe cuts in TAFE funding are likely to cause campuses to close and entire courses to be shut down, with many others being handed over to private providers.

Comparing this with the federal Labor government's $2.3 billion investment into the New South Wales training system, the difference between our two parties is apparent. Many TAFE students, particularly in south-west Sydney, come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Studying at TAFE often provides them with the knowledge and training necessary to become independent and break the cycle of poverty and unemployment.

While mainstream courses will certainly suffer as result of the cuts, programs catering to students with special needs are particularly vulnerable. The TAFE Outreach program, including the Liverpool TAFE program I recently visited, will now be delivered through other faculties, breaking the formula that has worked successfully for over 30 years. Last year the unit had close to 500 successful completions out of the 684 enrolments, and many students expressed their gratitude for being able to start their studies at the speed and level they were able to cope with. I have received enormous numbers of letters from students who studied in the Outreach program. One student stated that his dyslexia made it hard for him learn at the regular speed and that Outreach was the perfect opportunity for him to gain the knowledge, strength and confidence to consider further studies.

Special programs provided by Miller TAFE will inevitably suffer a similar or worse fate, being one of the first programs to be sacrificed as a result of the funding cuts. I recently visited Miller TAFE College to discuss the implications of the funding cuts on the teachers and students. I spoke to Grant Cameron, coordinator of the basic adult education disability support program. He shared my view on the importance of programs catering to students with special needs, particularly when it came to students with mental health issues. Grant is very passionate about his job and one of his main goals, as he told me, is to help students to get off welfare and secure a job.

Courses under the special program were once provided free; however, since the budget cuts students have been required to pay full fees for these courses. I toured the Miller campus with Phil Chadwick, President of the TAFE Teachers Association. We used the opportunity to observe some of the classes, including carpentry, metal framework, special programs including English for speakers of other languages, and basic adult education. I also attended a barbecue organised by the student association, where the students spoke of their experiences at TAFE and concerns over the funding cuts. TAFE education is universally recognised and respected. TAFE has, for years, been at the forefront when it comes to giving people in New South Wales the skills they need to fill the jobs of the future.

These funding cuts threaten the quality of future workers who come through the TAFE system. This is something the state of New South Wales, with an increased demand for a highly skilled workforce, cannot afford. I support the call of the community— (Time expired)

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