Prime Minister needs to answer serious questions on Australian Technical Colleges

2/11/07

'.no fees would be charged and each school would have some hundreds of students.'
The Age, September 2004, on John Howard's ATC pledge.

Education and Training Minister Mark McGowan today said Prime Minister John Howard needed to answer some serious questions about the Federal Government's Australian Technical Colleges (ATC's).
Mr McGowan said the Federal Government's ATC's had been a massive policy failure and had cost the Australian people more than $500million.
"Mr Howard's technical colleges cost an enormous amount of money, charge high fees and will make no real dent in Western Australia's skills shortage," he said.
"They are another example of the Howard Government's ideological desire to interfere in State services and force teachers and lecturers on to individual contracts.
"On the eve of the last Federal election, Mr Howard announced WA's first ATC and claimed these technical colleges would solve the nation's skills shortage.
"The last data released publicly showed that just 62 people were enrolled in ATC's in WA - that's Mr Howard's response to the skills shortage.
"WA's TAFE system currently has about 100,000 students."
The Minister said the Federal Government's ATC South, located in Armadale, charged school students more than $3,000 in fees to undertake their studies.
"The Prime Minister is on record as saying students would not be charged fees to attend an ATC and that each school would have hundreds of students," Mr McGowan said.
"It is outrageous that the Federal Government is allowing students to be charged such fees when we are in the middle of a skills shortage.
"On top of this, there has been no consultation with the State Government. It seems the Federal Government is only interested in setting up duplicate systems in marginal Liberal seats.
"The Australian people are entitled to some answers."
Minister's office - 9222 9111