TAFE SA crisis: Education Minister Susan Close orders independent review into broken system
TAFE chairman Peter Vaughan has been sacked and Education Minister Susan Close has refused to rule out a full audit of every course, as students voiced their fury at the growing training crisis over its impact on their qualifications and careers.
- ANALYSIS: Lost confidence, minister? So have we
- TAFE SA report: CEO quits, courses cut, students left without accreditation
- BASIC FAILURES: What the report found
- Dozens of TAFE students pass despite withdrawing from subjects
- National regulator found problems with every TAFE SA course reviewed
- TAFE SA warned 16 courses in danger of losing accreditation
TAFE chairman Peter Vaughan has been sacked and Education Minister Susan Close has refused to rule out a full audit of every course, as students voiced their fury at the growing training crisis over its impact on their qualifications and careers.
Among those students is apprentice and former cookery student Chelsea Williams, who fears her career hopes and ambition of owning a cafe are at risk.
The Australian Skills Quality Authority report released on Monday found three trainers and assessors from TAFE’S plumbing course did not have the knowledge or skills to teach various parts of the curriculum. As a result, TAFE SA has suspended new enrolments in the course — along with 13 other Certificate and Diploma courses.
Dr Close on Tuesday commissioned an independent review into TAFE SA, and TAFE SAchairman Peter Vaughan was sacked — the second head to roll over the scandal engulfing the state training provider.
TAFE SA chief executive Robin Murt resigned on Monday, while Mr Vaughan’s sacking was made official in the Government Gazette on Tuesday, after Dr Close flagged an intention to remove him.
The Gazette confirmed Governor Hieu Van Le accepted the recommendation to remove Mr Vaughan, who still has a separate role on the board of high school certifier SACE.
Dr Close said the review into TAFE, by Nous Group, “will be undertaken as quickly as possible” but “take as long as it needs to”.
It was unlikely to finish before classes start next year, she said.
“It’s highly likely that more courses have problems,” Dr Close said.
“That’s the evidence not only from the initial audit but, now having had the report on Tuesday, we need to act swiftly. Everything points to a wider problem.
“A comprehensive audit of every course would take an extremely long time. If they (Nous) recommend that is necessary, then we can look at that.”
Ms Williams, 25, finished a Certificate II in Kitchen Operations, at the Regency campus, this year and started an apprenticeship in her chosen field. She fears her apprenticeship may now be at risk, given TAFE SA has been forced to stop all new enrolments in Certificate III in Commercial Cookery.
“It’s quite a blow to think the apprenticeship I do have may be at risk if TAFE can’t take students,” Ms Williams, of Beverley, said.
“I’ve just changed industries from business to cooking, which is where my passion is and I am counting on this apprenticeship to keep myself going. If I can’t sign up to TAFE it will be a devastating blow to my finances and, in particular, my career. My dream is to manage my own cafe, eventually.”
The Certificate III in Commercial Cookery was one of 16 courses randomly selected for audit and later deemed to be substandard by the ASQA.
The cooking course was criticised for not proving students had been exposed to “sufficient practical training” or had the opportunity to put their training into a simulated kitchen environment.
“I’m still trying to find out how this will affect undertaking my Certificate, whether it may be delayed until TAFE can take students, or if I have to go through a private RTO (registered training organisation) meaning it will come out of my own pocket,” Ms Williams said.
“It’s a pretty unnerving situation.”
Dr Close said TAFE would accept enrolments in unaudited classes next year. TAFE has begun contacting the 800 currently affected students to advise them about further testing or training will be needed to obtain their qualifications.
Dr Close said students who had graduated in past years would not have their degrees revoked. She said the Government would cover “any expenses” created by the blunder.
“We need to get our courses back on track so that we’re able to enrol students in them,” Dr Close said. “The operation of the organisation hasn’t been good enough. We need to get on top of this and we need to restore confidence.
“It’s difficult to understand how all 16 courses audited could have problems and then all but two continue to have problems. That suggests that there is a problem within TAFE.”
DR SUSAN CLOSE ORDERS INDEPENDENT REVIEW
Dr Close said she was “very mindful of the beginning of the term next year” and that the Government and review team would get as much done as possible to reassure students. Dr Close said no bonuses were paid to TAFE executives in the past financial year.
The TAFE board met on Tuesday and appointed Alex Reid, currently the deputy chief executive of the Department of State Development, as its interim chief executive.
Premier Jay Weatherill said the Government had taken the “strongest possible steps” to fix the fiasco.
“The Minister (Dr Close) did not have confidence in the advice that she was receiving via the chairperson or the chief executive and she took the right steps to insist they resign or be removed from their positions,” he said. “She’s behaved entirely appropriately and assertively in taking charge of the situation, get it fixed up.”
Mr Weatherill rejected the suggestion that ministerial accountability had eroded under his leadership.
“There’s been an assertion of ministerial responsibility under my leadership,” he said.
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE INDEPENDENT REVIEW
“We’ve taken full responsibility whenever there has been a problem that has existed in an area of government responsibility, to alert the community at the earliest possible time and then take assertive steps to take responsibility to solve it.”
The state Liberals said Dr Close must resign.
“Minister Close has abjectly failed the students of TAFE and has no option but to tender her resignation,” said State Liberal Leader Steven Marshall. “If Minister Close won’t do the right thing and resign Jay Weatherill must sack her.”
SA Best Leader Nick Xenophon said affected students must be compensated. He also called for a full federal audit of all TAFE courses, as well as an independent state oversight body.
“Students who will have their careers and entry into the workforce delayed because of the TAFE debacle should be compensated for any economic loss,” he said.
“When you have a parliament that is fundamentally lazy … it allows disasters like this to happen.”
TIMELINE: HOW DID WE GET HERE?
May, 2017: The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) undertakes “routine regulatory scrutiny” for 16 random courses which “identified some noncompliance” with national training guidelines.
September 1: Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) suspends accreditation for TAFE SA aircraft maintenance students after their skills were found to be lacking.
September 25: National regulator issues notice of “intention to remove or suspend” 16 courses as they did not comply with some standards. TAFE SA are given a month to improve the courses.
September 28: The Advertiser reveals TAFE SA chief executive Robin Murt received a 448,000 bonus payment in 2015-16.
O ctober 15: Education Minister Dr Susan Close goes on annual leave as the fate of 2500 students hangs in the balance.
October 23: The Auditor General finds 45 students have passed courses despite having withdrawn and receiving a course fee refund.
December 4: Scathing report from ASQA finds problems in all 16 courses audited. Enrolments have been suspended in 14 of the courses — four which TAFE SA no longer offers. Chief executive Robin Murt resigns.
TAFE SA is no longer able to accept new enrolments in:
■ Certificate III in Automotive Refinishing Technology
■ Certificate III in Motorcycle Mechanical Technology
■ Certificate II in Meat Processing (Abattoirs)
■ Certificate III in Commercial Cookery
■ Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing)
■ Certificate IV in Leisure and Health
■ Certificate III in Hairdressing
■ Diploma of Visual Merchandising
■ Diploma of Building and Construction
■ Certificate III in Plumbing