Legislative Council Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3) 51 3 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Women's Education Program WOMEN'S EDUCATION PROGRAM The Hon. M. PARNELL Legislative Council WOMEN'S EDUCATION PROGRAM The Hon. M. PARNELL (15:19): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for the Status of Women a question about the proposed closure of the Women's Education Program at the Mount Barker TAFE. Leave granted. The Hon. M. PARNELL Legislative Council The Hon. M. PARNELL: I have spoken previously in this place about concerns raised over a national agenda to privatise the technical and further education system. Despite the issue of contestability being taken off the forward agenda of COAG by the Deputy Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, at the recent Ministerial Council for Vocational and Technical Education meeting (which was held on 20 November), it appears that South Australia is one of the few states pushing ahead with this privatisation agenda, with the ambition for 50 per cent contestability of TAFE by the year 2012. One of the most disturbing aspects of this agenda for me is the pre-emptive loss of critical entry level job training, as TAFE colleges prepare for contestability by ditching their less profitable courses. One example is the Women's Education Program, which provides a crucial first step for marginalised women who wish to gain skills and confidence to enter further training or employment, especially in regional areas. My office has been contacted by a number of women studying and connected with the Women's Education Program, who are highly distressed at the news that this course will be cut from the Mount Barker Campus; a decision that was confirmed this morning by a spokesperson from DFEEST (the relevant department), who rang the ABC 891 morning show, to respond to the many women who have rung in and spoken in defence of the Women's Education Program over the past few days. These women have described how crucial this program is, especially the important face-to-face to face contact, which is provided by the teaching staff, which helps them to get back into study or into the active workforce. Students currently studying at Mount Barker TAFE will now apparently only be given the choice of accessing online teaching or will be forced to travel to the city. I have been told that the primary reason for cutting the on-campus program is the poor completion rates; however, as I understand it, the reason that many women do not complete the course is that they actually succeed in obtaining a job or that they move into more specialised training. So, what is actually a remarkable success story is being used as a justification to shut down this program. My questions to the minister are: 1.	Were you, your ministerial office or the Office for Women consulted about the closure of the Women's Education Program at regional campuses, including Murray Bridge and Mount Barker and, if so, what advice was provided? 2.	Do you as Minister for the Status of Women support the loss of on-campus teaching as part of the Women's Education Program at the Mount Barker TAFE? The Hon. G.E. GAGO Legislative Council Minister for State/Local Government Relations Minister for the Status of Women Minister for Consumer Affairs Minister for Government Enterprises Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Energy) (15:22): I will refer the honourable member's questions to the appropriate minister (the Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education) in another place and bring back a response. He is the minister responsible for the policy area of further education and training. These are often very difficult decisions that have to be made. They are very difficult policy decisions in terms of the level and breadth of services that we supply, in respect of the types of curricula that are developed and made available. Obviously, there needs to be an adequate number of interested parties who are prepared to enrol in them and, of course, then go on to complete these courses. Every public dollar is precious, and we obviously have to ensure that we drive that dollar and get the best value out of it as we possibly can. Other than those general statements, as I said, for further details about those particular courses I will refer the questions to the Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education.