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Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

Author
Petition: Stop budget cuts to Outdoor Rec TAFE
KylieJ
1-Oct-2012
5:03:30 PM
Greetings all,

Please see below a link to a worthy petition, 'Western Sydney Institue of TAFE: STOP budget cuts to Outdoor Recreation Course at Blue Mountains TAFE'

http://www.change.org/petitions/western-sydney-institue-of-tafe-stop-budget-cuts-to-outdoor-recreation-course-at-blue-mountains-tafe

Kind regards, and happy climbing,

Kylie from Adelaide

Climboholic
2-Oct-2012
11:34:46 AM
Money is being cut from everything to meet Labour's unrealistic budget surplus. Why should Outdoor Ed be the exception? Actually, I'd consider Outdoor Recreation a first world luxury that the country doesn't need. Don’t get me wrong, I understand the benefits of outdoor education and regularly get outdoors in my own time. I just believe there are areas of government that are more critical to our national interests than outdoor rec, so why shouldn't they share the hurt?
Penny
2-Oct-2012
12:07:14 PM
I think you might be wrong Climboholic - programs like outdoor recreation will save money in the long term, but myopic annual budgets and short election cycles don't allow for that.
I would much rather spend money now to train people to run outdoor ed programs in schools, than deal with the fallout from bored teenagers with nothing to occupy themselves or inspire them, and no experience of social cohesion to make them feel they owed society anything in return. Not saying this is the case with all teenagers, but it would could certainly make a difference for some lost souls.
I also think it makes sense to support an industry that instils an appreciation for the natural environment in people of all ages, especially those who are likely to be writing environmental policies in the future (the environment also being a long term economic issue).
And it gives people jobs.
Its not a first world luxury, its a sustainable industry with many additional social advantages, and funding it is a pretty econimically sound decision.
Wendy
2-Oct-2012
12:59:17 PM
The particularly concerning bit about this is, that is probably the best outdoor ed course in the country and is done by people who actually regularly get out and do stuff, which is rather crucial for anyone getting any good at teaching or guiding anything. So if the two bit courses are the only ones left, well, your kids are going to be taught outdoor ed by two bit trained outdoor ed teachers.

But, overall, govts are slashing funding to TAFE around the country, and I think cutting funds to education in and of itself is just fûcked. But then, in Victoria anyway, they are also slashing funding to health, welfare and the environment and probably a stack of other things. All of course totally forward thinking.
patto
2-Oct-2012
1:09:04 PM
I don't see Outdoor Ed as mission critical in Australia.

But we are funding so much BS business and IT degrees that it is not funny.
rossco
2-Oct-2012
1:26:00 PM
"Money is being cut from everything to meet Labour's unrealistic budget surplus."

Aren't the cuts being made by the state government? In which case it would be the Liberal government trying to keep a budget surplus.

Superstu
2-Oct-2012
1:45:44 PM
What a total waste of time is outdoor ed! Encouraging kids to take an appreciation of the outdoors and the natural world, learning how to have healthy happy active lifestyles, bloody useless! We really need the next generation to get back in front of their TVs or better still back in the shopping malls, consuming mindlessly and keeping our economy pumping money to the business elite!

We definitely need to cut back any non essential government spending. Times are really tough, the nations economy is teetering on collapse, susidies to the fossil fuel industries are at risk. We'll have to indefinitely delay putting money aside for the environment, health, schools, outdoor ed, and other quality-of-life programs until our economy is once again the envy of other industrialised nations. In the mean time we must work hard, consume more, and keep farking the environment .. for our childrens sake.


Eduardo Slabofvic
2-Oct-2012
1:54:00 PM
On 2/10/2012 rossco wrote:
>Aren't the cuts being made by the state government? In which case it would
>be the Liberal government trying to keep a budget surplus.

No one likes a smarty pants Mr rossco! Just because Australia is doing better than just about everwhere else on the planet at the moment is no reason not to talk Australia and the Labour federal government down.

Climboholic
2-Oct-2012
1:54:33 PM
On 2/10/2012 rossco wrote:
>"Money is being cut from everything to meet Labour's unrealistic budget
>surplus."
>
>Aren't the cuts being made by the state government? In which case it would
>be the Liberal government trying to keep a budget surplus.

This may be the case (I haven't researched the details), but the same argument applies. Anyone in a government job will tell you we are in dire, dire times.

One thing is for sure, I'm not signing a petition without educating myself on the full story.

Penny: I appreciate your position but when money is being cut from everything Wendy mentioned, it is hard to argue that outdoor education should be sacred.

Climboholic
2-Oct-2012
1:56:33 PM
I thought Julia said the Australian economy was supposed to be the envy of almost every other nation in the world. What gives???
uwhp510
2-Oct-2012
3:07:10 PM
On 2/10/2012 Climboholic wrote:
>I thought Julia said the Australian economy was supposed to be the envy
>of almost every other nation in the world. What gives???



How does the act of one Liberal STATE Government cutting education funding in one specific area have any causal relationship with the RELATIVE strength of the national economy, bearing in mind that most of the developed world is in recession? All these cuts do is inform us about about the policy priorities of the particular set of conservative politicians that are currently in power in NSW.
KylieJ
2-Oct-2012
4:48:52 PM
This isn't a straightforward argument and I see that TAFE funding cuts are part of a wider budget-cutting trend, but I'm with Peggy here. Yes an outdoors industry with well-trained people is great for sharing an appreciation of nature among users, and therefore influences environmental policy over time. And it's brilliant for the well-being of young people. It made a big difference for me when I was in my teens!

hangdog
2-Oct-2012
8:11:54 PM
Maybe part of the problem was the people delivering these programs were being paid at casual rates of between $50 and $75 per hour. Some of them for over ten years. It was a good earner but the gravy train is over.

Zarb
2-Oct-2012
9:12:43 PM
Yes cut all unnecessary funding to useless institutions like schools and hospitals. I want my $130Mil Joint Strike Fighter jet.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/defence/first-raaf-jsfs-to-cost-130m-each/story-e6frg8yo-1226314244468

I'm only half kidding...

Climboholic
3-Oct-2012
9:06:18 AM
On 2/10/2012 Zarb wrote:
>Yes cut all unnecessary funding to useless institutions like schools and
>hospitals. I want my $130Mil Joint Strike Fighter jet.
>
>http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/defence/first-raaf-jsfs-to-cost-130m-eac
>/story-e6frg8yo-1226314244468
>
>I'm only half kidding...

Which half? I assume you were kidding when you said schools and hospitals are useless, so it follows that you think we need the Joint Strike Fighter.

There are 15 messages in this topic.

 

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