Marie Martinez, Darwin
Under public pressure about the cuts to more than 300 subjects at Charles Darwin University (CDU), Vice-Chancellor Helen Garnett told local ABC Radio on September 30 that there would be no courses lost. Since then, the CDU Students' Union has learned that university management plans to cut courses in the TAFE sector of the university, including three certificates in resource management specifically designed for training remote Aboriginal rangers.
CDU Students' Union Council member Kathy Newnam told Green Left Weekly that the three certificates, which have more than 100 students enrolled, contain important content that is not replicated in the mainstream certificates that CDU wants these students to transfer to. While CDU cannot force current students to changes courses because there are significant differences in course content, future students will be disadvantaged.
Important aspects of the resource management certificates that are not offered in the mainstream course include background information on Western culture, and content geared to recognising traditional ecological knowledge and cultural understandings.
The stated reason for the cut is that the accreditation of the certificates expires at the end of 2005. Newnam told GLW, "With the obvious interest in the course from Aboriginal communities, one would think that planning and carrying out re-accreditation would be well worth the effort, a priority even. Is CDU management serious about Aboriginal community development and training provision, or is its stated commitment to that just a public relations exercise?"
CDU management claims that there will be adequate customisation of the mainstream course to not disadvantage students, but Newnam pointed out that "customisation allows for only a 20% variation in content, so this will not mitigate the disadvantage that students will face in the mainstream course compared with the current certificates".
She said that CDU management is treating Aboriginal students and communities with contempt and called for protests to be directed to the university management and NT education minister. Vice-Chancellor Garnett can be emailed at <helen.garnett@cdu.edu.au> and the education minister, Syd Stirling, at <minister.stirling@nt.gov.au>. The issue will also be addressed at a protest outside the university council meeting on November 2. For more information, phone (08) 8946 7722.
From Green Left Weekly, October 26, 2005.
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