ABC Radio News | 18 April 2013 The Age | 19 April 2013
The outgoing chairs of a number of the boards heads of Victorian TAFEs have been highly critical of the State government in their 2012 annual reports tabled in Parliament on 18 April.
The former chair of Holmesglen TAFE, Jonathan Forster, wrote in his report that last year’s funding cuts to TAFEs placed “considerable strain” on the institute and that the funding changes were implemented with “undue haste” and will result in a “significant increase” in fees and uncertainty for the sector.
Other TAFE heads described the cuts in their annual reports, as causing “a significant amount of turbulence and disruption” and a “challenging and unsettling period.”
South West Institute of TAFE, Kangan TAFE, William Angliss Institute and Advance TAFE all recorded a net operational loss in their annual reports.
Former NMIT chairwoman Joy Acquaro said she anticipated the institute would incur a significant deficit in 2013 as it worked to ”remain competitive within the new government funding regime”.
A spokesman for Higher Education and Skills Minister Peter Hall said there had been a 7 % increase in TAFE enrolments across the sector and a 3% increase in earned government revenue.
The government announced new chairs for the state’s TAFE boards earlier this week, after the recent sacking of more than half.
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