Former tech teacher hits out

By SHAUN INGUANZO
A FORMER teacher has criticised the Federal Government for its announcement last week of a new technical training college in Ferntree Gully.
Selby’s Greg Pargeter said last week’s announcement by Latrobe MP Jason Wood and Aston MP Chris Pearce that one of 24 new Australian Technical Colleges would be built to adjoin St Josephs College in Ferntree Gully would not solve Australia’s trade skill deficit.
He criticised the Liberal Party for closing technical schools throughout the Knox region during the 1990s, including Ferntree Gully Technical School where he once taught, and Knox Technical School.
Mr Pargeter labelled the closure of technical schools ‘dark days’ for technical trades and said it was ironic that former Kennett Government MP Hurtle Lupton was in support of the new college.
“There was no rhyme or reason to their closure,” he said.
Mr Pargeter said Tertiary and Further Education (TAFE) facilities already offered technical training and he called for funds to instead be pumped into existing TAFEs.
“What really annoys me about Mr Wood claiming the credit is that it is a duplication of existing TAFE facilities.
“If we really want a bang for our education buck we should be putting the money into existing TAFE colleges.”
But Mr Wood, who attended the Ferntree Gully Technical School Mr Pargeter once taught at, said he was never in support of their closure.
“They should not have been closed,” he said.
“If you look at local TAFEs, they do not offer the skills needed in this area.
“For example, kids at Upwey High have to travel to Box Hill.
“My goal is that I want students of the outereastern suburbs in Ferntree Gully, Emerald and Upwey to be as close as possible to an educational facility which would be in Ferntree Gully, beside a train line.”
Mr Lupton said the Kennett Government did not close technical colleges.
He claimed they were no longer teaching technical skills when the Liberals gained control following Joan Kirner’s term as premier.
“Oh no, they were gone before Kennett,” he said.
“Technical schools as we knew them, that is they taught people about various trades, went out of existence in the 1980s.”
Mr Pargeter, also an industrial officer for the United Firefighters Union, said he was also concerned that employees at the new technical college would have to sign individual contracts, or Australian Workplace Agreements (AWA) which would not offer employees the same workplace rights that regular educational staff already received under award contracts.
But Mr Wood said the college was not under pressure to adopt the agreement.
“St Josephs College is really keen to sign up for the college and is prepared to sign for AWAs or it would not put its name to it.”