SA meeting discusses anti-fees campaign
ADELAIDE -- Politics in the Pub on June 28, on the theme of “Winning the Fight for Free Public Education”, was organised by the South Australian Education Network (SAEN) as part of the national No Fees for Degrees campaign.
Speakers drew the links between tertiary education cuts by the federal ALP and cuts at the secondary level by the state Liberal government. Both the ALP and Liberals are cutting funds and privatising at the expense of accessibility and academics', teachers' and other jobs. Speakers took up the need for alliances between students, workers and the community to fight attacks.
Paul Ackfield from the National Tertiary Education Union outlined deregulation in Australia, and called for criticism of both major parties. Clare McCarty, from the South Australian Institute of Teachers (SAIT), outlined their campaign against state government attacks and told the audience that while in government the ALP had cut 1000 teaching jobs. Since then the Liberals have cut a similar number.
Anne Marie Griffith, representing the campaign at Flinders University, called for a stop to the planned axing of their visual arts course. She pointed out that the ALP's “Creative Nation”, document which claims to encourage access to the visual arts, cannot be implemented if universities do not teach art. A rally is planned for July 28, when a final decision regarding the course will be made.
Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union representative Davey Thomason discussed the defence of public assets. Unions' control by the ALP had damaged the labour movement and hampered campaigns, he said, adding that compliance of the “so-called left” was assisting this process.
Rob Houghton from SAEN described education campaigns in France earlier this year in which 60-70,000 students and workers marched together.
Ongoing campaign possibilities include industrial action on a building site on Flinders University to stop the axing of visual arts, and a proposal that the SAIT become involved in an August 24 national day of action.
The main demand of this rally will be to increase education funding. The participation of SAIT could broaden community support and the involvement of high school teachers. SAEN will be approaching other unions to discuss their involvement.
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