NTEU ENDORSES COMMITMENT OF AUSTRALIAN GREENS TO PUBLIC EDUCATION
October 1 2004
The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) endorses the strong emphasis placed by the Australian Greens on the need for increased public investment in our education system, including their $4.5 billion plan for TAFE and Universities that was launched as part of their education policy on Friday.
“The Greens recognise that public investment in education has economic and social returns that benefit not just the individual concerned but all Australians,” said Dr Carolyn Allport, NTEU National President.
Their policy includes the abolition of fees for all domestic students and a fully funded plan for an additional 50,000 student places to be phased in over the next three years.
“The Australian Greens have always promoted the importance of public education in the Senate and the policy they have launched today confirms this commitment.”
“The policy also includes a commitment to increase staff numbers and funding for university infrastructure, as well as increased student support mechanisms, particularly for Indigenous students.”
“The NTEU strongly believes that university places should be provided on the basis of merit and not money.”
“The Greens supports this and their policy of affordable and equitable access to education for all is a challenge for Australia and should be the goal of all the political parties.”
“HECS fees have already doubled since 1996 and if the Howard Government is re-elected the situation will get even worse,” said Dr Allport.
“From 2005, universities can put their HECS fees up by 25% and it will be easier for students to buy a full fee place at a cost of up to $100,000 or more, with marks less than the cut off score for a HECS place.”
“Government funding to our universities has declined in real terms by 13 per cent per subsidised student place. In contrast, the Greens are committed to real indexation of university funding and a 20% increase in funding per student place.”
“The Commonwealth currently spends more on private schools than it does on our university system and this is now threatening the future quality of education that public universities and their staff will be able to deliver,” said Dr Allport.
For Further Information and Comment Contact
Andrew Nette, NTEU Policy and Research Coordinator: 0438 026 277