❓ Hon. Robyn McSweeney questions alleged discrepancies between nominal and actual TAFE student contact hours, prompting a departmental investigation. Federal funding is based on agreed spending and nominal student contact hours, not actual hours.
AnsweredQoN 2457Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to TAFE, and ask -
(1) In the September edition of the
Western Teacher
, there is an article entitled ‘TAFE WA - short changing students on hours’, where the Australian Education Union WA branch allege that students are charged for nominal hours but are actually receiving on average 20 to 50 percent less. Is this correct?
(2) If yes, what is being done to rectify this situation?
(3) On what basis is Federal funding calculated for TAFE WA?
(1) In the September edition of the
Western Teacher
, there is an article entitled ‘TAFE WA - short changing students on hours’, where the Australian Education Union WA branch allege that students are charged for nominal hours but are actually receiving on average 20 to 50 percent less. Is this correct?
(2) If yes, what is being done to rectify this situation?
(3) On what basis is Federal funding calculated for TAFE WA?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
21 October 2004
Responded by
Parliamentary Secretary representing the Minister for Education and Training
Response time
23 days
The actual number of contact hours will be affected by the number and type of modules undertaken, the delivery mode (traineeship or institutional pathways) and whether or not a student might have pre-existing relevant skills. Indeed, in many ways, the concept of class hours has become redundant in an outcomes-focused, competency-based teaching and learning environment. With respect to the proposition that students are being 'short changed', this assumes that TAFE students pay fees merely to attend classes and not achieve an outcome in the form of a qualification or statement of attainment. On average from 1998 to 2003, around 83 per cent of completing students achieved the competency or passed the module in which they were enrolled. (2) In response, the Department is currently investigating the practice of adjustments to contact hours across the TAFE system to determine whether there is any impact on the quality of training. (3) Under the terms of the ANTA Agreement, Federal funding for training delivery in Western Australia (for TAFE and private training organisations) is made available on the basis of the State achieving agreed bottom-line spending, and training delivery targets expressed as nominal SCH and not actual 'contact hours'.
With respect to the proposition that students are being 'short changed', this assumes that TAFE students pay fees merely to attend classes and not achieve an outcome in the form of a qualification or statement of attainment. On average from 1998 to 2003, around 83 per cent of completing students achieved the competency or passed the module in which they were enrolled. (2) In response, the Department is currently investigating the practice of adjustments to contact hours across the TAFE system to determine whether there is any impact on the quality of training. (3) Under the terms of the ANTA Agreement, Federal funding for training delivery in Western Australia (for TAFE and private training organisations) is made available on the basis of the State achieving agreed bottom-line spending, and training delivery targets expressed as nominal SCH and not actual 'contact hours'.
(2) In response, the Department is currently investigating the practice of adjustments to contact hours across the TAFE system to determine whether there is any impact on the quality of training. (3) Under the terms of the ANTA Agreement, Federal funding for training delivery in Western Australia (for TAFE and private training organisations) is made available on the basis of the State achieving agreed bottom-line spending, and training delivery targets expressed as nominal SCH and not actual 'contact hours'.
(3) Under the terms of the ANTA Agreement, Federal funding for training delivery in Western Australia (for TAFE and private training organisations) is made available on the basis of the State achieving agreed bottom-line spending, and training delivery targets expressed as nominal SCH and not actual 'contact hours'.
With respect to the proposition that students are being 'short changed', this assumes that TAFE students pay fees merely to attend classes and not achieve an outcome in the form of a qualification or statement of attainment. On average from 1998 to 2003, around 83 per cent of completing students achieved the competency or passed the module in which they were enrolled. (2) In response, the Department is currently investigating the practice of adjustments to contact hours across the TAFE system to determine whether there is any impact on the quality of training. (3) Under the terms of the ANTA Agreement, Federal funding for training delivery in Western Australia (for TAFE and private training organisations) is made available on the basis of the State achieving agreed bottom-line spending, and training delivery targets expressed as nominal SCH and not actual 'contact hours'.
(2) In response, the Department is currently investigating the practice of adjustments to contact hours across the TAFE system to determine whether there is any impact on the quality of training. (3) Under the terms of the ANTA Agreement, Federal funding for training delivery in Western Australia (for TAFE and private training organisations) is made available on the basis of the State achieving agreed bottom-line spending, and training delivery targets expressed as nominal SCH and not actual 'contact hours'.
(3) Under the terms of the ANTA Agreement, Federal funding for training delivery in Western Australia (for TAFE and private training organisations) is made available on the basis of the State achieving agreed bottom-line spending, and training delivery targets expressed as nominal SCH and not actual 'contact hours'.
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