Education - and HECS !

It is becoming obvious that the TAFE system in New South Wales is facing change.  TAFE has been described as " the poor man's university " because it tended to teach trade skills as opposed to the academic disciplines of university life.   This distinction is now blurred - and it seems inevitable that HECS will soon be applicable to both centres of learning.

What is alarming the NSW Teachers Federation is the prospect of TAFE embracing privatization - as has been installed in Victoria.   The Teachers describe this as a " disaster " and claimed that it had descended to a poorly regulated market, consisting of hundreds of private providers offering short courses in a fraction of the time they should take - with " huge HECS like fees ".

Of course, this is the expected claim launched by the Teachers Federation.   They have a vested interest in the status quo and as a militant union they fear losing the tight control they now have over education policy and staffing.  It is highly unlikely that those working in a privatized system would be union members.

The HECS question is a separate issue. As part of the COAG agreement, NSW has signed the Council of Australian Government agreement which requires the introduction of HECS type fees to TAFE courses.
HECS are coming, irrespective of whether TAFE is privatized, or remains a form of education remaining within the NSW government education system.  

A privatized model as opposed to the present government TAFE model raises a number of questions.   The original TAFE concept was to equip those less academically qualified with the skills to earn a living as qualified trades people.   Many students were enrolled as apprentices, and as such attended TAFE several days a week and did on job training for the remainder.   Some claim these courses are long winded and pedantic, and could deliver the same results in a shortened form.

The pivot point of success or failure for privatization - will be the skill of those teaching in the private sector.  That will depend almost entirely on the standards set by the government and what sort of checks and balances are put in place to monitor compliance with those standards.   It seems inevitable that class sizes will increase in a " for profit " TAFE regime, unless class size is determined by legislation.

No doubt this issue will generate angry debate, but some sort of change is inevitable, given that all levels of government are desperate for funds and need to cut costs to remain solvent.   The one thing that is certain is that getting any sort of useful qualification will come at personal cost - and the most likely outcome is " learn now - and pay later " - and that is the basis of HECS.

If the government opts for privatization, it will need to be diligent to see that the new regime delivers value for money !