A MOVE by TAFE Illawarra Goulburn to sell off the remainder of the fine arts equipment has sent shock and disappointment rippling through former staff.
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Last weekend, TAFE NSW conducted an auction and book sale to get rid of excess stock.
“The auction at TAFE Illawarra Goulburn was undertaken to dispose of identified excess fine art equipment and related text books from the Goulburn campus library,” a TAFE spokeswoman said.
“Funds from the auction will be directed to supporting TAFE Illawarra students and facilities at Goulburn campus.”
State funding was withdrawn from Fine Arts courses in 2013, impacting some 400 students and 800 teaching staff across the state.
The courses were subsequently removed from the facility completely.
A former senior head teacher of arts and media at Goulburn campus, Elizabeth Charles was among the hundreds from as far as Tamworth and Sydney who attended the auction.
She told the Post the fact this valuable arts equipment was being removed from the region was “tragic”.
“It’s really tragic that this is happening after all these years of arts courses being provided, not just at Goulburn campus but all through NSW,” Ms Charles said.
“All through continuously since TAFE was first established, well over 100 years ago, arts have been offered. Yet, in these pretty comfortable times, the Government doesn’t seem to understand the importance of a broad-base provision of courses, let alone the value of such courses in the community… If students in the area want to engage at that level now they have to leave Goulburn to do so.”
Ms Charles said “absolutely everything” that was in the fine arts facility was up for sale. This included cartridge paper, specialist printing papers, materials, tools, furniture and equipment.
“Every stool, every bench, every easel, every printing press, every guillotine, every potter’s wheel and kiln,” she detailed.
Further, she urged residents to take up the issue with Goulburn MP Pru Goward and Hume MP Angus Taylor.
“The community should be aware of what is happening. The importance of being able to access education and training locally is vital,” she said.
“TAFE has traditionally been a place that was very accessible to all sorts of people in the community.
“Our biggest concern is art education is now only provided for the few who can afford to move to larger centres of cities, and commit to university education.
“Continued funding cuts, cutting course hours and increasing course fees is not equitable.”
A question to TAFE Illawarra on whether the sale indicated arts courses would not return to Goulburn TAFE, went unanswered.