Candidates for the seat of Goulburn, with the exception of incumbent MP Pru Goward, gathered at the Moss Vale Services Club for a forum organised by the Southern Highlands Teachers' Association.

Outgoing president of the association Dr Michael Cotter said they were interested to hear what the candidates had to say about education.

A range of policies and opinions were put forward from both sides of the fence with candidates specifically grilled on their views on public education and changes to TAFE and Registered Training Organisations (RTOs).

Each politician was given an opening statement, the opportunity to address audience questions and a closing statement.

Labor candidate Ursula Stephens, and Greens candidate Iain Fyfe were both completely committed to public education and the return of taxpayer funds to the TAFE system.

However, the candidate for the Christian Democratic Party Adrian Van Der Byl and independent representative for the Outdoor Recreation Party Wal Ashton were adamant that public education needed to improve for it to compete with private schools.

"The Christian Democrats will implement a school voucher system to encourage parents to invest in their children's education," Mr Van Der Byl said.

"You need to abandon party allegiance and vote for a value system that will advance public education."

However, Ms Stephens said while there was a long tradition of Christian religious education in schools, the community had diversified and religious education had as well to include classes in Buddhism and Islam, as well as ethics classes.

"The Labor position has always been that education is a key area for a government and we're committed to the Gonski reforms," she said.

"Should we be elected, we would cap Smart and Skilled funds at 30 per cent for RTOs."

Smart and Skilled is the State Government's reform of the NSW Vocational Education and Training System, which contracted TAFE NSW Institutes, Adult and Community Education colleges and private training organisations to deliver government- subsidised courses from January 1, 2015.

"Seventy per cent of funding would go to TAFE to ensure regional campus' survive and we would cut course costs to 2014 levels and reinstate student support," she said

Mr Fyfe took Ms Stephens' pledge one step further, however, and said the Greens would provide no government funding to non-government schools and limit funding to RTOs to just 20 per cent.

"We will shut the door on new private providers (RTOs)," he said.

"Smart and Skilled has destroyed student support and cut out second chances at education.

"It's killing critical courses and pushing up fees."

Mr Ashton said he didn't have a single vote in the room and approached the forum with a nothing to lose attitude.

"It seems that primary education is covered, but secondary education just somehow isn't working," he said.

"Centralisation isn't the way to go, we need to bring education back to our community.

"I don't think educational institutions should be profit driven."

Ms Goward did not attend and said she had a prior commitment.