STUDENTS, staff and the wider community have joined in a protest against the state government’s $300 million cuts to TAFE funding.
A rally held at the Victoria University Nicholson Street campus in Footscray last Tuesday sent a loud message that the cuts would have a devastating impact on education and training in Melbourne’s west.
The Weekly has reported a number of courses will be slashed, fees will skyrocket and more than 50 jobs will go as Victoria University – the largest education provider in the western suburbs – scrambles to deal with a $32 million funding black hole.
Community development teacher Margarita Windisch, one of the protest’s organisers, said the job losses and course cuts were devastating and would force down quality.
Higher Education and Skills Minister Peter Hall says the cuts are part of government changes to help more people receive training overall.
Western Metropolitan Greens MP Colleen Hartland says half of Victoria University’s TAFE students are on low incomes.
She used last week’s rally to launch a new postcard campaign against the cuts.
“The postcards send a message to Premier [Ted] Baillieu that TAFE education changes lives for the better and that $300 million in funding cuts affecting 80 per cent of courses is unacceptable to us,” she said.
The Save TAFE postcards can be found at vicmps.greens.org.au/SaveTAFEpostcard
