TAFE Fees

Dr JOHN KAYE: My question without notice is addressed to the Minister for Education and Training. Is it true that in 2004, when TAFE fees were first introduced, the Minister's predecessor, Dr Andrew Refshauge, made a commitment that further TAFE fee increases would not exceed the consumer price index increase? Is it also true that a large number of TAFE courses offered by TAFE New South Wales have had fee hikes well in excess of inflation, including certificate three and four diplomas, advanced diplomas and apprenticeship courses? Is it also true that graduate certificate and graduate diploma courses will now be offered on a fully commercial basis, along with most professional career development and language courses? Is the latest set of fee hikes and commercialisations well above the inflation rate the next step in the privatisation of TAFE? Has TAFE joined electricity, ferries and rail maintenance on the Treasurer's hit list of privatisation targets?

The Hon. JOHN DELLA BOSCA: To deal with the final piece of nonsense, no, the Iemma Government is absolutely opposed to the privatisation of the TAFE system. The Premier, the Treasurer and I have repeatedly made that clear. TAFE New South Wales, like all TAFE systems in all the States, charges fees. In 2008 the annual fees for mainstream TAFE courses will range from a little over $400 to about $1,400. TAFE fees do not attempt to cover the true cost of a student's education, but represent a small contribution of about 5 per cent of the overall cost. I emphasise: 5 per cent of the overall cost. Fees contribute to a range of services including access to facilities, libraries and counsellors, as well as the training itself.

TAFE fees for 2008 remain nationally competitive compared with other public and private providers of vocational education and training. TAFE New South Wales will continue to cap fees for all apprentices and trainees, regardless of the level of qualification. This cap maintains our strong commitment to addressing skill shortages in New South Wales. Apprentices in general will continue to pay significantly less than students enrolling in a standard Certificate 3 course. Many apprentices will be eligible for a full rebate of their fees, and those who are not eligible for the rebate will pay $394 per year—an increase of just $10. Fourth year apprentices do not pay any fees.

Existing worker and school-based trainees do not currently pay the TAFE New South Wales fee, and this will continue. In 2008 we will continue to apply our policy of affordable access to training for the most financially disadvantaged groups in New South Wales by maintaining full fee exemptions for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and for all students enrolled in special access courses. We have also introduced a $50 concession fee for Centrelink benefit holders, which they can access regardless of the number of courses they undertake. We anticipate that many benefit providers will be able to claim a rebate from their job network provider. Students with a disability will continue to be exempt from any fees for one course each year, and will pay only the concession fee for subsequent enrolments. TAFE institute directors will continue to be able to fully waive TAFE fees in cases of severe hardship.

The Iemma Government is investing a record $1.7 billion in TAFE this year to ensure that we can continue to offer high quality, publicly delivered, career-focused qualifications for the people of New South Wales. Discussions about a new funding agreement for TAFE have commenced in the usual way, which is a threat from the Commonwealth to cut TAFE funding for the very purposes that Dr John Kaye talked about. As ever, the first thing we hear is a threat from the Commonwealth Government delivered in the customary way—not by correspondence and not at a face-to-face meeting but via the pages of a national newspaper. Last time the Commonwealth demanded that we introduce Australian workplace agreements for all TAFE staff; this time it is putting a series of demands around the governance of TAFE colleges. So it is all about ideology, provocation and bullying, and nothing to do with addressing the real national skills shortage.