Teachers and nurses forced to pay more to study
Tuesday, 02 March 2010 14:26
Dr Bruce Flegg MPShadow Minister for Education & TrainingLNP Member for Moggill
1 March 2010
Teachers and nurses forced to pay more to study
The State Opposition fears fewer young Queenslanders will study to be teachers and nurses after the Rudd Labor Government scrapped its subsidy scheme.
LNP Shadow Education and Training Minister Dr Bruce Flegg said the axing of the subsidies would mean teaching and nursing students will pay at least 25 per cent more for their degrees.
“It is already a struggle to get talented young Queenslanders to study to be teachers and increasing the price of courses by up to $2500 does nothing to make the degree more attractive,” he said.
“Strong concern has been expressed that even under current fees we have been unable to attract students into teaching with some universities accepting students with OP scores of 17 or less.
“You have to question whether Labor is serious about lifting education standards.
“Queensland is confronting a generational challenge to deal with the changes coming in with the national curriculum and early childhood reform. The scrapping of these subsidies couldn’t come at a worse time.”
Dr Flegg said nursing students faced an extra 30 per cent slug to get their degree, which would only further discourage Queenslanders from taking up desperately needed nursing places.
“This blow is all the more callous as it comes barely a week after students were given their university places,” he said.
“Now these same students find their HECs debt could be thousands of dollars more than anticipated.
“You have to wonder what Labor is thinking.”