Dionne Rose, Staff Reporter
TUFTON
OPPOSITION SENATOR Dr. Christopher Tufton has chided the Government for failing to make good on its promises to education.
"If we are serious about empowering our next generation, let us get serious about education reform," he criticised.
"Pre-primary and primary education must get the priority they deserve! Government must follow through on its promise to lift the tuition being charged for secondary education. You made a promise, what has happened to that promise?" he asked.
BREACH OF PROMISE
Dr. Tufton made the criticism while making his contribution to State of the Nation Debate in the Senate on Friday. Citing another breach of promise, Dr. Tufton said that the Government must seek to recommit to the agreement with the Opposition to increase the budget for education.
"That was a commitment which was bi-partisan because we felt that it was important. That commitment was breached in the very year it was made," he said.
On the issue of training, he said a lot more needed to be done to empower young people.
He said enrolment figures for 2004 showed that for the age cohort 15-29 years, only seven per cent were enrolled in tertiary institutions, 2.5 per cent in vocational training and only 26 per cent at the secondary level.
Dr. Tufton said 81 per cent of those not enrolled in a training institution have not passed external examinations and have no skills.
