BY ALEX BAINBRIDGE
HOBART — The TasDEC Global Learning Centre is looking at ways to continue functioning after a March review by its government funding agency threatened to cut $40,000 from TasDec's funding for next year.
TasDEC is the primary coordinator of "global education" in Tasmania, providing a library, newsletter and support materials to teachers, schools, government departments and interested members of the community. Last year TasDEC ran in-service courses for 1100 teachers and student teachers.
TasDEC has been funded by the federal government through AusAID (the overseas aid program) via four-year contracts to provide global education. Since a notice about the funding cut was published in the TasDEC newsletter, the AusAID project manager has notified TasDEC that AusAID is revising the Tasmanian global education project and that the TasDEC contract — due to expire at the end of this year — has been terminated.
The TasDEC committee is trying to keep the centre open, at least until the end of the year. There will be a public meeting on June 26 at 4.15pm at International House (address below) to discuss how this can be achieved.
TasDEC is calling on AusAID to reinstate the contract, at least until it had been due to expire. Supporters can write to the Director General of AusAID at GPO Box 887, Canberra 2601, email TasDEC is also looking for financial contributions, including from the Tasmanian government, in order to remain open. Supporters can write to Premier Jim Bacon at GPO Box 123, Hobart 7001, email Send copies of any correspondence to TasDEC at International House, 4 Battery Square, Battery Point, 7004 or <tasdec@vision.net.au>.
From Green Left Weekly, June 11, 2003.
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