The benefits of being Indigenous.

[Richard]

The following is a quote taking from the North Sydney TAFE brochure about studying at TAFE.

"Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students are exempt from paying the TAFE
NSW Fee."

For those who don't know, TAFE is a tertiary education service in Australia. Not quite as high as Univeristy but it's very good, a lot of trades are taught there and courses that Uni doesn't offer.

But is this right? Should people from certain backgrounds not have to pay the Tafe study fee?

I don't think so. I think it's wrong as to assume all Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders are poor and not wealthy is a very silly assumption to make. Sure there are some who are poor but there are just as many in other nationalities who are in the same circumstances as them.

I think this country, Australia, has gotten too sensitive and we have actually gone backwards as the government is trying to give equality to them, they're actually giving them more than equality as there are plenty of Aboriginals who live normal working lives and now everyone else is given the short end of the stick. They should be made to pay, just like everyone else.

Opinions on this matter?

 

[Xemmy]

This situation is VERY similar to the one here in Oklahoma. Native Americans get benefits out the wazoo here. But personally It doesn't bug me.
Hell, in certain areas of Tulsa a Native American of the right tribe can get a house built for free. Most Native Americans get an automatic scholarship at the colleges and other special benefits.

Personally I think education should be free to those that want it, and it doesn't bother me that some people manage to get it through their heritage. What bother's me is people struggling to have to attain that same education. It is wrong that certain people get these benefits, and others don't, but I don't blame the people for being part of a sovereign tribe. Normal people aren't treated any differently so I don't consider them to be getting the short end of the stick unless they're actually being discriminated against. I guess it's kind of whishy washy. The tribes still exist and many of them still grow up on the res. So I still look at them as people trying to retain their hertiage. If they get benefits from their own people for it, so be it.

Your situation sounds a little different. Is this a form of reperation, or is it just a hand out?

 

[SavageTaker]

I don't know anything about the people over in your country, but I don't think the government is assuming that those people are poor and wouldn't be able to afford that school. Like I said, I don't anything about the people over there so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Now, the way I see things, there is nothing wrong with it. If I was in that position then I wouldn't care as long as I'm able to get my education. My little rights aren't going to be hurt and honestly, I won't feel discriminated just because a certain group of people are exempt from paying a fee and I'm not.

People now days seem to be too worried about their little rights and equality with everyone else when I think we should just worry about ourselves and what we are going to do in our futures. If the government wants to exempt them from that fee then let them, it's not affecting you is it? You're still able to get your education, correct? If so, then I don't quite see the problem.

 

[HBK-aholic]

It's very wrong. Hell it annoys me that Scottish people get their Uni education for free yet we have to pay up to £9000 a year. People have gone so backwards in trying to give equality to those they once wronged that they're now wronging the rest of their citizens. It's the same thing with programs designed to give black people and women more opportunities in the workplace.

Education should be free to everyone who wants it, though I'm realistic enough to know that isn't possible, especially in the current economic climate. Instead of that, all the money given to those who automatically get a 'free' ticket to those in institutions should instead be put into a budget to make the price slightly less for all. Also, there SHOULD be programs that help the worst off in society pay for fees, but it shouldn't be based solely on heritage, what sense does that make? It should be done on an individual basis based on many different factors.

 

[Uncle Chester]

It's favorable discrimination is what it is. It's a clear assumption the Aboriginis should be given special privileges because of what their ancestors went through. It's fucking wrong, a form of racism not quite as potent as the White Australia policy but people are too scared to be called racist to speak up. Now people, I realize Aborigines are generally poorer than the rest of us but I'd feel much better if this assistance was applied to individual cases including that of non-aborigine poverty.