State Budget features big spending on school upgrades, but will close seven underused TAFE campuses
A RECORD education spend in the State Budget will bring upgrades to numerous schools across SA, but seven minimally used TAFE campuses will close.
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SEVEN TAFE campuses will close as the government moves to overhaul the troubled sector.
Sites at Tea Tree Gully (226 students in the last semester), Port Adelaide (430), Wudinna (119), Roxby Downs (42), Coober Pedy (14), Urrbrae (412) and Parafield (15) will shut, saving $32.8 million over four years.
Government officials say these sites have “low utilisation” rates and enrolments have been steadily dropping — they note Wudinna’s latest figure is an aberration as it includes 109 people enrolled in a one-off safety awareness course.
It also plans to consolidate services at other sites to reduce operating costs across the remaining campuses.
Officials say some courses can be delivered online or in workplaces rather than a campus.
Education Minister John Gardner said TAFE needs to respond to the needs of industry.
“A number of TAFE SA campuses are expensive to run, are not fit for purpose and are not well utilised,” he said.
“Part of the efficiency drive sees a review of the use of facilities in order to deliver the courses in the most effective manner possible. There will be some impacts on some campuses where courses will be offered in a different way rather than within expensive, under-utilised facilities.”
Discontinuing the Laptops for Students program for every Year 10 public school student will save $69.9 million over five years, with the funding “reallocated to other educational priorities”.
Operational efficiencies to cut jobs in non-teaching and non-direct support areas will see 26 full time jobs cut, saving $2 million in 2018-19 and $3.2 million by 2021-22.
Problems with TAFE’s dud courses will see $109.8 million over five years for extra resources, and to ensure compliance with national vocational education training standards.
Mr Gardner said there was a “clear need for reform” in the system.
“The VET market of the future will be based on contestability, access and choice,” he said.
“The Department for Industry and Skills, as the purchaser of training will drive the development of this market, aligning public funding to industry sector analysis and making funding available to not-government providers as well as TAFE SA.
“The market will take time to develop. It cannot simply be fixed overnight. A new funding model will be introduced for the VET market in South Australia.”
MASSIVE EDUCATION SPEND
THE “largest investment in education by any government in the state’s history” will see $515 million more spent in the portfolio in 2021-22 than in 2017-18, according to Treasurer Rob Lucas.
New measures include:
$27.7 million over four years on work to move Year 7 students into secondary school by 2022, which is expected to see 215 full time equivalent positions needed and $40 million a year in ongoing funding from 2022;
$361 million for new 1675-place schools, one at Munno Para and one at Aldinga, under a public-private partnership, as well as $100 million for a new school at Whyalla, all to be completed for the 2022 school year which is earlier than previously expected;
$692 million over six years to upgrade schools;
$20.9 million over four years to improve literacy and numeracy including hiring 13 “literacy coaches” for schools ;
$15.5 million over four years to address bullying, truancy and substance abuse;
$12.2 million over four years on students learning a second language;
$5.6 million over four years for entrepreneurial specialist programs in four high schools.
Mr Lucas said he wanted the government to be judged on educational outcomes, rather than just money spent.
Education Minister John Gardner said: “This is the biggest investment in schools by any state government in the state’s history.”
“We’re delivering our Literacy Guarantee to give all students the best possible foundation upon which to build their educational success.
“Our Year 7 students will soon benefit from specialist teaching in a high school setting, as designed in the national curriculum, ensuring our students are no longer left behind.”
Mr Gardner also noted SA has introduced Year 1 phonics checks for all students, and that from next year, all students enrolled in teaching courses will be required to pass a test showing they have literacy and numeracy skills in the top 30 per cent of the population.