2019 AEU TAFE Council AGM
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 124 No 4, 31 May 2019, page no. 23
Three QTU members share their experiences at the 2019 AEU TAFE Council AGM in Melbourne.
Patricia Nielsen:
I was very fortunate to be an observer for the Australian Education Union National TAFE Council Annual General Meeting in Melbourne in April. It was undeniable that I was in a room full of very passionate people united for the wellbeing of education in the public sector and the rights and expectations of educators.
For me, the best part of this experience was what I thought was going to be the worst part. This was door knocking in the Frankston area in the division of Dunkley to promote the Stop TAFE Cuts campaign. However, after listening to AEU Federal Secretary Correna Haythorpe and then the awe-inspiring speech from ACTU Secretary Sally McManus, I was well and truly sold: “To change the rules, we need to change the government; we will do this by talking to as many people as we can about which political parties have and which have not committed to a fair go for working people.”. I would like to say that I was outstanding at this, however, not true. But under the guidance of my comrade and door knocker, David Terauds, we did manage to speak to several people with some very positive conversations and encouraging support.
Nathan Pole:
Prior to attending the AGM as a QTU observer, I had a very limited understanding of how it could improve my understanding of VET. What I wasn’t expecting to encounter, however, was the striking similarities between how each state was dealing with constant requirements of the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) and the failure of large private providers.
Each state provided an individual report which highlighted the similarities between the ways in which the ASQA requirements for the attainment of the TAEASS502 are managed. Issues around the lack of time given to undertake the required training, limited recognition of previous teaching experience and/or higher-level qualifications, and the over assessing of the requirements of the TAEASS502 unit were consistently raised.
I think it is fair to say that very few teachers felt anything after obtaining the TAEASS502 design and develop assessment tools other than a sense of relief. The application, by TAFE Queensland’s recognition of higher level qualifications/experience was I felt, non-existent. This, combined with demanding deadlines for completion and unrealistic volumes of assessment, certainly stretched relationships between management and teachers.
Could these two issues of teacher qualifications and greater regulation of VET providers be linked? Would increasing the educational requirements for VET educators limit the number of fly-by-night VET providers?
I realise that after the stress of obtaining a Certificate IV unit, the idea of now having to achieve a degree qualification would not easily be accepted by some VET teachers. But if the attainment of a degree level qualification also has the benefit of a more robust (not requiring constant “up-grades”) prerequisite for VET educators, then I feel it would be welcomed by those teachers looking to continue in the VET sector.
Scott Green:
Addressing the AGM, John Buchanan Professor of Business Analytics at the University of Sydney, clearly stated that TAFE needs to be the anchor for economic and social change. In quoting Hobbes, he said: “We need to change the terms of the debate.”
Professor Buchanan reiterated that VET is in crisis because of the following issues:
- the current system is failing on its own terms
- quality – many private RTOs don’t have it
- relevance.
Looking at the role TAFE should play in the future, he says it should represent an “anchor for quality”, which would require:
- stabilisation of TAFE to renew VET
- qualification rationalisation – the foundation for new relevance and respect
- a vision for TAFE as the quality anchor.