Page 1086 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 29 May 2007
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structured faction, with a clear delineation of functions. The role of this group will be to ensure that there is minimal duplication of advice, governance and administrative functions between it and the schools commission.
To address Dr Foskey’s concerns, under section 8 (a) of the VET act, this advisory authority is given the function of advising me not only about VET but also about adult and community education. This happens by means of the ACT Adult and Community Education Council being established as a standing committee of the authority.
As the ACT is a signatory to the 2002 ministerial declaration on adult and community education, some functions such as strategic planning for the sector and national reporting do need to be maintained. Adult and community education advice can continue to be effectively sourced form local providers by means of a regular roundtable consultation with the government.
This authority has also been tasked under section 8 (j) of the VET act with promoting equity of access to and participation in VET and this is done by delegating to the department the operations of three equity advisory groups: the Indigenous People in VET Committee, the Women in VET Committee and the Advisory Group on People with a Disability in VET. These groups have ensured that the government is provided with VET advice from these equity perspectives. The Australian government, in its funding negotiations with the ACT, regularly regards equity advice as particularly important and this advice will be maintained through these forums.
In relation to the other amendments, particularly around the approved national protocols for higher education, it is important to note that the revised protocols maintain the overall policy direction of the previous version, with the addition of allowing the approval by jurisdiction of a new type of self-accrediting institution and this new institution, once approved, would be eligible to access Australian government funding similar to a full university.
The revisions also permit approval of a new institution type with access to a modified form of the title “university”, and this type of institution must meet the same requirements as a full university under the national protocols. Typical candidates for self-accrediting status are institutions that have demonstrated that they meet the criteria through their track record of approval with a state or territory accreditation authority.
In closing, I note the significant savings that are delivered through this change. It is important that we are devoting our resources to the provision of vocational education and training and not the administration thereof. This bill provides a positive step forward and I thank members for their support of it.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Bill agreed to in principle.
Leave granted to dispense with the detail stage.
Bill agreed to.
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