Chapter 3 - Australian Democrats' Additional Comments
3.1
The Australian Democrats welcome the committee’s inquiry into the Higher
Education Support Amendment (Extending FEE-HELP for VET Diploma and VET
Advanced Diploma Courses) Bill 2007. It is broadly acknowledged that
Australia is facing a chronic skills shortage. Currently, 50 per cent of the
workforce does not hold post-school qualifications and yet only 13 per cent of
the available jobs are suitable for these workers. By 2016 it is estimated
there will be a shortfall of 240,000 people with vocational education and
training (VET) qualifications. This means that one in seven jobs requiring
vocational education and training qualifications will be either unfilled or
filled with an inappropriately skilled person.
3.2
Within a context of reduced Commonwealth funding and support for the
vocational education and training sector, in combination with increasing
demands for greater curriculum hours and the delivery of higher level
qualifications, it is timely that the future of the VET sector is considered.
3.3
The Democrats believe in a strong education sector that allows equitable
access for students and that does not burden them with massive debts.
Education at any level is an investment, not a cost. Public support for
education should be a priority and funding models need to ensure that fees and
charges are not a barrier to student participation.
3.4
The Democrats are disappointed that the government has failed to develop
a consistent national policy framework for the vocational education and
training sector in order to make sure that current and future training and
skills needs are adequately met. The government’s focus on directing funding
to private providers and the use of individually oriented funding initiatives
have been piecemeal approaches that have undermined existing systems and done
nothing to meet the needs of the VET sector.
3.5
Given the lack of public funding directed towards VET it is unsurprising
that fees and charges have increased, along with full-fee paying courses. The
Democrats have opposed full-fee paying courses in the higher education sector
and are opposed to them in the VET sector. Full fee courses are fundamentally
inequitable. Access to courses should be on the basis of merit, not ability to
pay.
3.6
While acknowledging that this bill introduces parity between students in
higher education institutions undertaking full-fee paying diploma and advanced
diploma courses and those undertaking them in VET institutions, the Democrats
favour an approach that reduces fees and charges across the board, rather than
one that extends loans schemes so that more students are saddled with debts to
cover full fees.
3.7
The argument for parity is also undermined by the bill’s discriminatory
treatment of students in the Queensland TAFE system who, as pointed out by the
Queensland Government, will not have access to the loans scheme under the bill’s
current provisions.
3.8
Currently full-fee paying students represent a very small proportion of
students within the VET sector, however, the Democrats are concerned that this
bill represents the thin edge of the wedge and signals a shift in funding
priorities that will see an increasing proportion of the costs of VET passed
onto all students as has been the case in the higher education sector. The
Democrats do not want to see a HECS style system introduced into the VET
sector. Increasing the cost of education and the financial stress on students
is not in the national interest.
3.9
The Australian Democrats have consistently called for increased public
investment in education at all levels, a major reduction in fees and charges
and more income support for students struggling to balance work and study.
Senator Lyn
Allison
Australian Democrats
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