2019-03-06
By Lee-Anne Miles, The Greens Candidate for Hasluck
When I was a young person, about to enter university, I didn’t have to worry about the cost of the courses. Although books were expensive, living costs sometimes difficult to meet, I was able to attend a top university for zero course cost. This meant I could afford to be living on what was then known as Austudy, the education equivalent of the unemployment benefit.
Many years later, more than thirty to be exact, I returned to education as an adult. This time around the books were still expensive, living expenses were easier to meet although it was still a challenge, but university was now expensive. The course I chose to attempt was a Bachelor of Arts in Science. If I had continued with the degree, it would have cost me well into the tens of thousands of dollars. The stress of study, knowing I might never find work and be able to repay my debt and the need to contribute to my family's income finally pulled me away from university.
My story is not all that unfamiliar, many people face the decision to study and then discover they simply can’t afford the fees. We have a very good education system in this country, with tertiary institutions among the world’s best. We also have some of the most amazing people who wish to study at these universities. It is a travesty that many are forced to decide they need to work to study which then creates a cycle of tiredness and an inability to study effectively. The Greens want to bring back free TAFE and undergraduate university for everyone.
Along with creating a more accessible tertiary system, our policy is focused on ensuring our public schools have everything they need and that no school is underfunded. The Greens recognise the excellent work teachers and school staff do every day, they also recognise the need for good student support. Check out our policy to see how we would fund more support to students, teachers and staff: https://greens.org.au/campaigns/free-education
Image from: https://www.facebook.com/LeeAnneForHasluck/
[Opinions expressed are those of the author and not official policy of Greens WA]