Union-commissioned research puts Victoria last nationally for funding per teaching hour, raising concerns about workloads, student support and the state’s ability to address skills shortages.
By the Online Editorial Team
Victoria’s TAFE system is facing calls for a funding overhaul after research found it receives almost $2 less per hour of education delivered than the national average, while teachers work an average of seven unpaid hours each week.
The report, produced by independent think tank Per Capita and commissioned by the Australian Education Union, puts Victorian expenditure at $19.44 per hour, compared with a national average of $21.36. The comparison uses 2024 figures expressed in real dollar terms.
The union warns that inadequate resources are reducing classroom time and placing pressure on teachers, potentially undermining efforts to train workers for industries experiencing critical skills shortages.
Free courses, growing pressure
Victoria introduced Free TAFE in 2019, covering tuition fees for selected vocational courses in priority industries. A federally supported rollout followed nationally four years later.
More than 80 free courses are now available in Victoria, spanning construction, agriculture, hospitality, finance, health and aged care. Teachers say the increase in enrolments has not been matched by sufficient additional resources.
Early childhood education teacher Elizabeth Chiarelli said larger classes had reduced the time available to support individual students, including those needing additional help with language, literacy and numeracy.
Accounting and bookkeeping teacher Tegha
