Students and teachers of TAFE were handed a nasty surprise on 8 May 2012, when Ted Ballieu’s government announced moves to slash funding of $300 million from the TAFE sector in the annual State Budget.
It came as a shock to an industry which is widely accepted as an indispensable part of the Victorian economy.
Newspapers printed graphic images of students crying in each others’ arms over fears of losing their money to institutions that would soon be shuttered.
Parents and teachers interviewed were indignant that such measures were undertaken overnight with no consultation with the unions or even students themselves.
Click to view the Victorian State Budget 2012-13
TAFE cuts: the beginning
On 8 May 2012, the annual State Budget was unveiled to the public, and the backlash against it was severe. The criticism was strongest against the cuts in the TAFE sector, which would see the nearly 600,000 Victorian TAFE students deprived of $300 million in state money.
As a result of the cuts, TAFE providers have been forced to re-evaluate their course offerings. This has meant slashing a number of courses, as they will not be financially viable once funding is decreased.
The Australian Education Union (AEU) has also suggested that some institutions may also be forced to close or merge with neighbouring providers.
Some TAFE providers have also had to initiate staff redundancies, with thousands of jobs at risk across both metropolitan and regional Victoria.
It is likely that the number of students will decrease, as course cuts will make TAFE study less accessible.
Likewise, because these cuts may affect some of the more specialised fields such as fitness and visual arts, students may be forced to move out of their fields of study.
There have also been suggestions that the cuts will have a negative impact on higher education, as increased fees and course cuts will make pathways to university more difficult.
One year on
In a recent update on 12 March 2013, Victorian Premier Denis Napthine announced an injection of $200 million in TAFE funding over four years.
He said this would allow TAFEs greater control over their finances and enable them to compete in an increasingly competitive sector.
However, unions say the funding will not bring back the thousands of staff or hundreds of courses axed last year.
Victorian TAFE Association executive director David Williams welcomed the money but said it is just a bandaid patch and doesn’t address broader problems in the system.
“It’s a welcome injection of funding, but it’s actually up to $200 million – it’s not guaranteed funding,” he said.
In an interview with Dr Ben Byrne, 29, he says the government’s flip-flop over the issue was “confusing”.
“TAFE has to be treated more seriously, but isn’t given priority right now. To many, TAFE is a stepping stone to higher education in university,” he said.
“It is understandable the government wants higher education institutions to pay for themselves, but at what cost?”
Click to view ABC’s Hamish Fitzsimmons reporting on the TAFE cuts
