Free University & TAFE
Universities and TAFEs should be free, fair, and accessible, and employ staff in secure, well paid jobs.
By investing in students, staff, and sustainable infrastructure, we can create a system that prioritises learning, equity, and public good over profit.
Explore our plan for Higher Education
- Make university free
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Federally, the Greens are fighting for university to be free, like it used to be. The Victorian Government should work with federal colleagues to make it happen.
- Cap vice-chancellor salaries
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The Greens will cap vice-chancellor salaries, so more university funding can go towards providing quality education.
- Universities should be governed as academic institutions, not corporations
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Universities have become heavily corporatised. Teaching staff are often underpaid and overworked and many are on insecure contracts.
The Greens will ensure that student and teacher voices are truly embedded in university councils and will push for these institutions to return to their academic roots.
This work will begin with a review of the eight public university acts in Victoria, to make sure they are fit for our modern academic system and are working to ensure the best outcomes for students and staff.
- Invest in training jobs for the future through TAFE, such as green tech and nature restoration
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The Greens want to see greater investment in training for the sustainable jobs of the future. Skills learned at TAFE can help us prepare for the impacts of climate change.
Jobs that protect and restore our environment, in land conservation and ecosystem management; jobs that support the rollout of renewable energy in Victoria, with the installation of solar, wind and batteries across the state; jobs that support our circular economy, reducing waste in all of its forms; and jobs that build sustainable and energy-efficient homes for Victorians.
TAFE plays a critical role in preparing people for these valuable jobs, practical jobs that cannot be done by robots and cannot be done by AI.