TAFE SA crisis: Students enrolling have no guarantee courses meet standards

THE crisis engulfing TAFE SA could affect hundreds more students because students now enrolling in courses still under a cloud have no guarantee they meet set standards.

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THE crisis engulfing TAFE SA could affect hundreds more students and further undermine public confidence because people now enrolling in courses still under a cloud have no guarantee they meet set standards.

The national skills auditor has refused to give TAFE SA written agreement that students currently enrollingin courses facing sanctions can complete their studies with the embattled public institution.

An Australian Skills Quality Authority spokesman told The Advertiser that TAFE was “permitted” to train and assess students who enrolled before a suspension takes effect.

In December, TAFE was put on notice that enrolments would be suspended in 14 courses, including qualifications for plumbing, mechanics, cooking, hairdressing and construction, unless the agency appealed. That appeal is now under way.

There have been 744 offers made in five of the courses affected by the ASQA audit.

The spokesman, however, refused to explain if courses were unable to be fixed, whether new students would be forced to undergo additional assessments or switch training providers, as past students had.

The Opposition accused the Government and TAFE of putting their needs before that of students.

But TAFE SA interim chief executive Alex Reid said the institution was “confident” courses under scrutiny would get the green light.

“ASQA has confirmed that if a student is enrolled before a potential suspension comes into effect, we are permitted to train, assess and complete the student,” Ms Reid said.

“We are confident that, with the new quality framework now being applied, we will be able to achieve compliance across all of the issues identified by ASQA.”

Numbers were not available on the other courses because these are enrolled through apprenticeships.

The letter asking for the written guarantee, obtained by The Advertiser, also outlines the training provider’s difficulties meeting the original deadline to prove it had fixed its dodgy courses.

“I also seek ASQA’s written agreement that any students commencing in early 2018 (prior to the application of a sanction that results in the suspension of any qualifications) will be able to complete their studies with TAFE SA regardless of the outcome of the reconsideration,” board chair Joanne Denley wrote.

ASQA granted an extension from January until March but refused to provide the written assurance.

Acting Opposition education spokesman David Pisoni said students’ interests needed to be put ahead of “what’s best for the Labor Party”.

“Students who enrol in TAFE courses could end up having to swap provider halfway through their course if TAFE loses their accreditation,” he said.

“The situation would have been even more ridiculous if TAFE SA had been given a guarantee that students could complete courses with them, even if they lose their training accreditation.”

In the letter, which TAFE refused to release publicly claiming confidentiality, Ms Denley argued for the extra two months to fix its courses because:

THE “quantum” — 23 — of units that require further review required education staff from across the state to be involved.

TAFE was required to offer staff leave over the Christmas period.

USE of external independent reviewers which could not “occur” until mid February.

STAFF had to be consulted on any policy updates which could not be conducted over Christmas.

THE submission to ASQA would be subject to “additional governance oversite (sic)” before it was sent off.