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Nationals Push For Rural Education Inquiry

The Victorian Nationals will push for a proper investigation into the crisis surrounding agricultural education in Victoria, when State Parliament resumes next week (November 3).

By Peter Hall - 25th October 2004 - Back to News

The Nationals’ Upper House Leader and Education spokesman, Peter Hall, is set to move a notice of motion that would establish an inquiry by the Parliament’s Rural and Regional Services and Development Committee.

The motion calls for an inquiry on the current organisation and delivery of post secondary agriculture, agribusiness and natural resource management in the State.

A key point is an investigation into the benefits of better co-ordination of these programs.

Mr Hall said the motion was in response to Melbourne University’s proposals to effectively shut regional campuses - at Glenormiston near Terang, Longerenong near Horsham and McMillan, which has sites at Warragul and Leongatha in Gippsland - and the State Government’s refusal to look at what alternatives are available.

"The aim is to improve co-ordination between government educational institutions and the private sector, and to really explore what options are available," Mr Hall said.

"That has simply not happened, as the Government recently rejected our call for an all party Parliamentary inquiry into agricultural education and research.

"Instead of institutions and departments acting in isolation, there needs to be a co-ordinated approach, which might even lead to opportunities to co-locate education and research activity.

"Who knows, until it is properly investigated?"

Mr Hall said there was also a need for the Commonwealth and State to work together.

"It is disappointing that the State Education Minister said the Melbourne University situation was basically the Commonwealth’s problem, because Universities are federally funded.

"We will be pointing out that Melbourne University’s campuses at places like McMillan, Glenormiston and Longerenong primarily deliver VET (Vocational Education and Training) courses and VET is a State Government responsibility."

Mr Hall said that the other major issue was retaining educational opportunities in regional Victoria.

"It is a fundamental contradiction that country students need to move to the city to study agriculture, agribusiness and natural resource management.

"We also need to protect ourselves against the prospect that fewer young people will take up these courses and therefore exacerbate a shortage of skilled people in rural industries."

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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