TAFE/DET resolution gets ALP delegates’ support

Following is the text of the leaflet handed out to delegates to ALP Annual Conference in Sydney last weekend.

The resolution was put to the conference by Anthony D'Adam, a PSA Industrial Officer, and Bernie Riordan, Secretary of the Electrical Trades Union. The Party's Education Committee accepted the motion as an amendment to its report and it was passed without opposition. Nobody rose to defend the Department of Education & Training or the Treasury.

While the resolution is not binding on the Government, it will impress upon them that the party members are not happy with some of their management decisions.

Motion for ALP State Conference

That Conference restates its commitment to quality public education in NSW and the importance it plays in maintaining and further advancing an egalitarian and well-educated community.

In order to achieve this aim public education needs to be adequately resourced, and fully staffed.

This year's NSW budget cuts education in real terms. The Government has budgeted for an increase in the budget of just 0.9%.

The increase over last year's actual expenditure is $75,756,000, or just 0.9%. With inflation expected to be around 3%, that's a real cut of 2%.

Currently the Department of Education and Training and TAFE are going through a restructure. It is proposed that 1,000 jobs are to be lost in this restructure. The jobs to be lost are positions that support teaching and learning in schools and TAFE.

Conference calls on the NSW Government to increase Treasury funding to DET and TAFE to stop 1,000 jobs being cut.

Background to ALP motion

On 17 June 2003 the NSW Government announced a restructure that is to take place in the Department of Education and Training and TAFE. It was announced that a 1,000 jobs are to be cut.

The 1,000 job losses are under the guise of a concept known as "Lifelong Learning", that is an attempt to streamline education in NSW from kindergarten right through to adulthood.

In fact the staff cuts and restructure are a response to budget cuts from the NSW Treasury.

On Wednesday 24 September the Department of Education and Training provided some more specific detail as to where 280 job losses are to come from.

Some of the areas where job losses have been announced include (this is by no means an exhaustive list):

Multicultural Programs Unit - 60% cut in staffing. This Unit's role includes developing anti-racism programs for schools and TAFE and providing support for English language programs for migrants and refugees.

Industry Training Service Centres - Are facing a loss of 25% across the state. ITSC are responsible adult training programs and apprenticeships and trainees (this doesn't include the New Apprenticeship Centres that are federally funded)

The Performing Arts Unit - Programs such as, Debating and ARTEXPRESS, state camps and ensembles in Dance, Drama, Choral and Instrumental music which are performed at State, National and International levels, including the Schools Spectacular, are now all under threat.

Community Grants Program has been cut by 50%

There are job losses flagged in most areas of TAFE and DET and they are from a wide range of classifications, including clerical officers, librarians, legal officers, policy officers and technical officers.

It is still unclear how many hundreds of these jobs will come from rural and regional areas. What we do know is that the loss of jobs has a flow on effect in the community - the loss of one full time job has the effect of wiping out the equivalent of two to three other jobs.

The PSA is aware that the further 700 job cuts are to come from the Corporate Services area. An announcement is expected soon on this. Jobs expected to be affected include positions in recruitment, payroll, information technology and properties.

The question is who will be left to recruit and pay teachers?

Who will be there to maintain and upkeep schools?

Or will the Department recommend that these functions be performed by 'Labour Hire" companies such as Julia Ross where rates of pay are less than those employed by the public sector.

The Federal Labor Party is committed to increasing resources in public education including TAFE. So why then is the State Labor government contradicting this commitment?

We ask you for your support in voting for the motion overleaf calling for increased funding in the NSW Department of Education and Training and TAFE to maintain a quality public education in NSW and to help save 1,000 jobs.