Government kept quiet on TCE marks bungle

The State Government has kept quiet on an error which saw more than 100 students robbed of their Tasmanian Certificate of Education. Full details >>

ANOTHER bungle in student assessment robbed dozens of Tasmanian vocational education and training students of their Tasmanian Certificate of Education before the mistake was corrected.

For the second time in three years, large numbers of final year students had their results updated after an error.

Labor education spokesman Josh Willie first raised the issue in December, but the Government slapped down his questions with a dismissive press release calling him “Silly Willie” and the “Minister for Misinformation”.

Six months later, the Government has admitted more than 600 VET students were affected and more than 100 were subsequently given their TCE.

RELATED NEWS:

• Students hit by TCE error
• Some students’ 2019 results were miscalculated
• Government keeps TCE testing fiasco report under wraps

According to a written response tabled in the Legislative Council last week “historic VET values” were overwritten by data from the National Register of VET.

It means that for 618 VET students “different values were assigned”.

“In some cases, the update of the students results after the initial release of results in December 2019 enabled that student to meet the requirements of the TCE.”

The response said 104 students gained their TCE as a result.

The bungle follows a similar stuff-up in 2018 in which ATAR rankings for 2215 students had to be recalculated and resent.

A data entry error at the Office of Tasmanian Assessment, Standards and Certification was blamed and an inquiry followed.

Labor education spokesman Josh Willie. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

Mr Willie said the more recent error was serious and widespread.

“There would have been students who thought they didn’t obtain a TCE certificate, they might have been applying for jobs, or for further educational opportunities.

“Given the history of problems, it’s really important that the minister and the minister’s office provide effective oversight and address the issues so students this year can have confidence in their results when they are issued this year after all their hard work and after all of this disruption.

“At the time the minister denied there were issues with student results,” he said.

“It’s quite clear there were issues with student results across the board whether it be ATAR, VET or the TCE.

“It’s quite reasonable to have minor adjustments each year, but this is an extraordinarily large amount of students affected in the VET sector.

“Students need to have confidence each year that the results are correct so that they can plan their future pathways.”

Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff said he had “full confidence in the Office of TASC and its executive officer”.

TASC executive officer Katrina Beams said the errors were corrected “as soon as practicable”.

Mr Willie said there was a need for an independent inquiry into how problems kept happening with final year results.

“The government needs to outline how these sorts of things can be prevented in the future.”