WA TAFE teachers protest privatisation
By Martin Price
and Anne Pavy
PERTH — Coffins, symbolising the death of TAFE, were carried onto the steps of Parliament House during a rally on May 18 organised by the State School Teachers Union to protest against the Court government's proposed privatisation of the TAFE system and its refusal to negotiate with the SSTU.
At the Bunbury, Geraldton and Albany regional colleges of TAFE, teachers and students walked out in support of the SSTU's campaign.
At the rally, SSTU president Brian Lindberg condemned the state and federal funding cutbacks which will mean a decline in services that can be provided to students. Students would soon be forced to pay prohibitive fees, excluding poorer sections of society from education.
Perth TAFE student Janelle Galvin spoke about the increase in class sizes and the number of unqualified teachers. Privatisation, she said, will only make the situation worse.
The rally was also addressed by Felicity Haynes, dean of education at the University of WA, who said that government and business see education primarily in terms of wealth-creation and increasing productivity rather than learning.