Mike Baird | Member for Manly - Seaforth TAFE Site Must be Utilised for Education

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Seaforth TAFE Site Must be Utilised for Education

Wednesday, 23 July 2008

At Seaforth yesterday, Shadow Minister for Education and Member for Manly Mike Baird announced that a NSW Liberal/Nationals Coalition Government would convert the Seaforth TAFE site into a centre of excellence for local education.

The education hub would be fitted with state-of-the-art technical equipment and could be utilised by students from all local public high schools, primary schools and Brookvale TAFE. It would offer the following services:

State-of-the-art IT facilities
Resource centre for HSC studies
Modern library
Vocational skills training
Study rooms and community conference centre

Mr Stoner said it was in the best interests of the Manly community to retain the Seaforth TAFE site for education, particularly because the area’s younger demographic is growing.

“On 3 May 2008 in a plebiscite conducted by Manly Council on the future of Seaforth TAFE, the local community voted overwhelmingly in favour of retaining the site for educational purposes,” Mr Stoner said.

“Unfortunately the Iemma Labor Government has continued to ignore the wishes of the local community and has let the site stay idle for almost 10 years, claiming that it is no longer viable as an educational facility.

“While the Premier refuses to acknowledge the needs of the local community, the NSW Coalition is keen to support local education through the reuse of the former TAFE site.”

Member for Manly Mike Baird said there is already transport that takes students between local high schools and the Freshwater Senior Campus, which could be supplemented.

“Currently local schools are crying out for facilities. It would be a tragedy to lose the Seaforth TAFE site when the demand for education is only going to increase with local kindergartens now bursting at the seams.

“There is the potential for the new education hub to also offer vocational training for students interested in doing apprenticeships. It would make perfect use of the idle Seaforth TAFE campus and help provide a quality education to local students for years to come.

“Clearly two things will need to be sorted out and that is local traffic and parking. Any reuse of the site must ensure an improvement on those issues for the wider community.”

MEDIA: Lisa Harrington - 0406 726 880

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Comments (8)

Seaforth TAFE site

What a fabulous proposal! Our public education facilities in the Manly area are stretched and this would make a wonderful addition to the public syste, I would support it wholeheartedly - all we need now is to get the Liberals in power so it can happen.

Posted by: Julie Somerville at 24-07-2008 09:11

TAFE refurbishment

Dear Mike

Any proposed centre of excellence must not ignore the future needs of Australia's younger generation. Language learning facilities need to be highlighted. The Northern Beaches right now lacks such facilities.

Posted by: Jennifer Grant Jary at 24-07-2008 10:21

Seaforth TAFE

I totally agree that Seaforth TAFE should be retained as an educational centre, particularly for vocational training. The population on the Northern Beaches has grown exponentially over the last decade or so yet, under the State Labor Government, our facilities (schools, hospitals, transport etc) are being either downgraded or closed down completely. Seaforth TAFE is only one such example of this.

Posted by: felicity pulman at 24-07-2008 12:14

TAFE Site.

Mike. Thank god somebody has their finger on the pulse, this is the right thing to do for our future generation. The prior proposal to have units and more shops would put stress on the already struggling businesses there, and cause traffic problems not to mention parking. We need more educational facilities in this area and what better place than the Seaforth site where it is basically already there awaiting restructuring.

Posted by: Debra Arena at 24-07-2008 15:24

TAFE site

I am not sure if any of the above actually read what Mike said - 'would consider a proposal' - in other words what we have is weasel words aimed at getting a cheap headline - there is no promise to actually do anything.

Posted by: Digby Hughes at 28-07-2008 15:01

response

Hi Digby, the only uncertainty is us winning and the final configuration.
cheers
Mike

Posted by: Mike Baird at 29-07-2008 07:08

Status and Tech Colleges Vs University

One of the biggest problems is that Tech Colleges are seen as a "poor man's university", with the best colleges becoming Universities (eg NSWIT becoming UTS, including the particularly-successful Hornsby campus). Good colleges should not be degraded by being "rewarded" with university status. They should be held as the best examples of Technical education, to reinforce the status of vocational training in its own right.
No wonder we have not trained enough tradespeople! Yet this sort of training yields immediate job prospects and good, reliable income.
We have to consider vocational or career-oriented training as being divergent from university study, which should not be seen as necessarily feeding into any particular occupation. Accountancy should be taught in Tech Colleges, not Universities.

Perhaps then, Seaforth Technical College would be able to reopen as a vocational school, geared to producing trained graduates in in-demand occupations.

Posted by: Alicia at 30-07-2008 10:56

course

Hi My name is David Grimes I have lived in spain for the past 5 Years and now returning to England on the 23 April 2009. Can you please send me some information on English Courses available and also maths. I may have to start basic due to not studying english for over 5 years.
Regards
David Grimes

Posted by: david at 07-04-2009 20:31