It has been brought to our attention that some of the Education Staff of UTS have been terminated! What does that mean for students studying Education at UTS? We don’t know!? Students studying Education are completely left in the dark. Many of the students are in the midst of their Spring Session and completing placements from 2nd to their final year of their degree. UTS is yet to make a formal statement regarding the firing of the Education academic staff.

This year (2021), UTS removed the Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Education degree at UTS. This meant that the 2020 intake of Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Education students would be the last cohort of this degree. However, the future of this degree is now unknown due to the termination of all Education academic staff.

The Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Education degree at UTS is a unique course. This degree has provided NSW with many outstanding Primary and Secondary qualified teachers. UTS provides education students ample opportunities to undertake professional practice throughout the degree - unlike many other Education degrees throughout NSW. This degree enables UTS to support its commitment to support social change beyond the campus. Teachers are the profession that creates all professions. With the termination of academic education staff, how will our future teachers learn the valuable knowledge to become teachers and graduate from their degree?

UTS is ranked 160 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, which judges world class universities across all of their core missions – teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook. UTS is 9th in Australia in the World University Rankings top 1000. 

The academic Education staff have a wealth of knowledge with their experience and immense research in the field of education. How does it look to have the 9th university in Australia, in the World University Rankings top 1000 to dismiss a degree and staff that has a great impact on society? 

We choose to study at UTS for a reason, it offers one of Sydney’s most innovative education degrees. The education staff genuinely care for their students and strive to support them on every step there is in becoming a teacher. Their role is to shape the future of education, however, due to their termination, this is not the case.

We understand that UTS, like many other universities around Australia, have struggled financially due to COVID-19. It is very disheartening that this degree and staff have been terminated as a result of “Budget Cuts”. This degree is not financially supported by the intake of International students, which funds other degrees such as Business. With the main population of this degree being domestic students, it is extremely disappointing that Education students and staff are not being supported by their university, who are known for their innovative teaching. The termination of the Education academic staff completely invalidates this belief. 

UTS, we want answers. We want our Education academic staff reinstated and we want our degree back.

Concerned students,
Sonia Baroi and Adeline Cabral