Australia: Rise in TAFE language fees

[Harold Schiffman]

Rise in TAFE language fees

Alex Engel and Maxine Frith
December 9, 2007
TAFE fees for students studying foreign languages are set to increase
dramatically next year.Teachers are concerned that the rise will deter
people from signing up for beginner-level language courses at a time when
there is a desperate skills shortage. The increase follows a decision by the
NSW Department of Education and Training to scrap government funding and
charge commercial fees for certificate 1 - starter level - foreign language
courses from 2008. At the moment, students pay $209 for an 18-week course
involving two modules in a European or Asian language. But students have
been informed that from next year they will have to pay $255 for a nine-week
course containing just one module.

Xiaohong Chu, a Mandarin teacher at Ultimo TAFE, said: "Students studying
European languages would still have to do two modules to get to certificate
1 level so it will cost them more than $500 from next year. "It will be
worse for Asian language students because they take much longer to learn.
"If it takes a Mandarin student a year to get to certificate 1 level it
could cost them more than $1000. "I already have language students who are
struggling financially and many will not be able to afford the new fees.

NSW Teachers Federation multicultural officer and TAFE organiser Mark
Goudkamp said: "We now have a Prime Minister who can speak fluent Mandarin
but we have a policy that is going to put up more barriers for people
wanting to learn a foreign language.

"Our concern is that this is just the start and that the commercial fees
will be rolled out to the higher certificate levels as well."

Hundreds of language students have signed a protest letter to the State
Government about the changes.

A Department of Education and Training spokeswoman said: "Students studying
introductory-level qualifications in languages other than English are often
participating for their leisure.

"As a result, introductory-level language qualifications will no longer be
offered as government-funded courses and instead will be run on a commercial
basis. However certificate II and III courses will continue to be
government-funded."

She said that funds generated by commercial courses are reinvested into
TAFE.

A spokeswoman for Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who is also Minister
for Employment and Workplace Relations, Education and Social Inclusion,
said: "The previous Liberal government seriously underinvested in TAFEs,
leaving the entire system under significant financial pressure."

"The Rudd Government is committed to delivering an education revolution
which includes investments in skills and training including 450,000 new
training places."

*mfrith at sunherald.com.au*
Source: The Sun-Herald
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/rise-in-tafe-language-fees/2007/12/08/1196813081978.html


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