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Document
Val Kerrison email to Andrew Stoner
Val Kerrison email to Andrew Stoner Member for Oxley (Material also referenced in Kerrison Affidavits)
31 March 2003
Subject: Re Aboriginal Students
Hi Andrew
One of the areas of concern from this case has been the treatment
of Aboriginal students at Kempsey College. Treatment apparently applied
to Aboriginal students in the Djigay Centre of Excellence in Aboriginal
Education and mainstream courses - but not to the non-indigenous students.
Attached are excerpts from the Hearing regarding this.
2001_Sep_11_TAFE_Dismisses_Aboriginals_Djigay
2001_Dec_04_Aboriginal_Students_TAFE_Djigay
Through all these years the plight of the Aboriginal students has seemed
to be ignored. Those who ignore it are seemingly looked after by the system;
they keep their jobs, get promoted, are not scurrilously defamed. Dr Willmott
was NCI TAFE Director from approx August 1994 through for some years including
through the 'HealthQuesting' atrocity and since. Dr Willmott has now reached
the height of Acting Managing Director TAFE, so this is still under his
responsibilities.
Andrew, I hope you also are concerned for the Aboriginals. If so, would
you make your own inquiries to Dr Willmott personally?
Do you wonder if it is still the practice to send letters to terminate
the Aboriginal students from their class if they miss a few lessons?
For years TAFE have had in their possession letters written by Aboriginal
students re their treatment . This includes one by Mr Michael Smith 27
November 1994 (Exhibit 3.15).
Don often sees Michael and Michael still comments that TAFE have never
approached him!!
Andrew, Michael's letter is among the material I previously supplied
to you.
Seemingly the Aboriginal students were just swept under the carpet, left
without education, perhaps thinking they could not fit in with TAFE education.
Andrew, would you write/fax Dr Willmott about this? I have attached some
of the transcripts for your information. Perhaps the following might fill
in some gaps.
______
Dr Gary Willmott
Acting Director General
TAFE Education Services
Fax: 9561 8188
Re: Industrial Relations Commission Matter 3124/2000 Valda June Kerrison
v NSW Technical and Further Education.
Regarding the evidence given by Mrs Kerrison in the Industrial Relations
Commission, including that in the Court Transcripts at 171-173 and 347-350:
Was there in place a facility whereby TAFE could arbitrarily terminate
Aboriginal students from their tuition if they missed some classes?
Did Dr Willmott ever inquire into Mrs Kerrison's reporting re Kempsey
TAFE sending letters to Aboriginal students telling them they were no
longer in their TAFE or Djigay course because they had missed some classes?
If Dr Willmott never made inquiries into this, would he please do so
now, and confirm to you [Mr Stoner] that he is following this up?
If Kempsey TAFE did not ever summarily terminate Aboriginal students,
when did Dr Willmott make those inquiries, and to whom?
If Kempsey TAFE did ever send such letters, does this still occur?
If it does still occur, should it cease?
If Kempsey TAFE did ever send such letters but stopped, when did this
occur and how did it come about, and were the Aboriginal students contacted?