TAFE — Technical and Further Education

There is every good reason for governments to value the public TAFE system highly because of the crucial role it plays in our nation's social and economic well being.

TAFE is responsible for delivering about 80 per cent of all vocational education and training (VET) in Australia. This year there will be about 1.3 million TAFE students, all of whom will benefit from the expertise, experience and goodwill of TAFE teachers. TAFE NSW enrolled about 530,000 students last year. More than twice as many students study in TAFE than study in universities and thousands of university students gained access there by articulation from TAFE. Even more university qualified students study in TAFE. TAFE teachers and educators continue to deliver vocational education and training (VET) courses for HSC students. Increasingly TAFE has had to forge new partnerships with schools, universities, employers and other organisations.

As well as providing for the needs of industry for skilled employees, TAFE teachers also strive to fulfil the needs of communities and individual students. In an increasingly competitive training market, it is TAFE teachers who carry the main responsibility for ensuring that social equity objectives and legislative requirements are met. These include providing for second and further chance education for the disadvantaged, as well as for rural NSW and the rest of the community. However, these objectives and requirements are being seriously compromised by outrageous fee increases and wasteful practices inherent in a competitive market, such as multiple tendering based on the lowest cost bid winning, so called "user choice" and duplication of effort. Competitive markets act against the interest of students with special needs, against the use of teachers with university level teacher qualifications, against smaller class sizes and against the maintenance of high educational and safety standards like those in TAFE. Unfortunately, both Federal and State Governments have encouraged this competitive environment and privatisation by diverting hundreds of millions of dollars from the public purse to private providers of VET. The share of VET hours delivered by private providers has risen from 2.2 per cent in 1996 to 15.5 per cent in 2001 (latest figures).

TAFE continues to suffer under the federal Howard Government's massive funding cuts imposed during its first years since its election in 1996 and its "growth through efficiencies" funding freeze from 1998-2001. It is now proposing another funding freeze for the next three years despite a predicted strong increase in student demand. These Howard cuts were exacerbated by Carr Government cuts in the NSW Budgets of 1999, 2000 and now in 2003. Funding for TAFE in real terms is at a historical low. In the last three years, there has been a growth in TAFE student hours of about 16 per cent. When measured in so-called "efficiency" terms, the real investment per TAFE student hour has been driven down by 24 per cent in the last four years. This is a clear measure of the extent to which TAFE teachers' goodwill in working for the public good has been exploited. Since 1997, expenditure on TAFE student services has halved. No wonder teachers and students feel stressed and undervalued.

Over the last decade, TAFE has suffered a major assault on its culture and values by big business/industry and conservative governments. The insatiable drive of economically irrational and oblivious governments to reduce investments in TAFE shows they have no appreciation of the value of non economic measures, such as the quality of educational outcomes, student/employer satisfaction, equity and social cohesion to communities.

The value of TAFE teachers' work, however, has escalated exponentially due to new teaching approaches and innovations such as:

• workplace based teaching and learning
• flexible delivery
• new technology/online delivery
• recognition of prior learning (RPL)
• increased industry liaison
• provision of consulting services on matters such as curriculum customisation and skills auditing.

There have also been additional responsibilities and accountabilities arising from among other issues:

• Australian Qualifications Framework
• Australian Quality Training Framework
• licensing and regulatory compliance
• Apprenticeship and Training Act 2001
• Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 and Regulations
• more autonomy and partnerships
• dealing with more difficult student behaviour and
• impact of big fees and charge increases.

Other consequences of Government policies and funding cuts, which need rectification, include:

• excessive casualisation (currently about 50 per cent of teaching hours);
• pressure on members to increase class sizes and to implement inappropriate self-paced learning, composite classes and other flexible delivery practices, when they are often only cost cutting exercises and would reduce the quality of student learning outcomes. An example of this is the increasing practice of requiring teachers to deliver a course with much fewer hours than normally provided, that is so-called course compression;
• significantly increased stress and workload for our members.

Part time casual teachers, coordinators and counsellors are continuing to be exploited due to the insecure nature of their employment. Their pay rates and conditions remain totally inadequate. As hourly paid "casuals" these valuable teachers are paid for their teaching, but not to provide any additional support that students might need outside class time. However, many of these teachers work extra time unpaid, in the interest of their students. The Federation's award variation application for pro rata conditions and salary for part time casual teachers will, if successful, rectify this gross inequity. As well, NSW Teachers Federation has now negotiated a landmark staffing agreement with the Department of Education and Training to increase permanent teaching hours to 55 per cent over the next three financial years. The NSW Government must continue to provide the additional funding needed to properly implement this agreement.

There is now an urgent need for hundreds of millions of dollars of increased investment in TAFE. The Federal Government is currently refusing to provide the $1080 million necessary for anticipated growth in student numbers over the next three years in vocational education and training. Furthermore, the TAFE allocation in the 2003/04 NSW Budget has been cut by $13 million in real terms, in addition to the $153 million cut since 1999/2000.

The introduction of the New Start and Youth Allowances has forced thousands of reluctant students into TAFE without adequate additional federal funds to support them. There is now an urgent need for a massive provision of Federal Government funds to address the needs of these young people, many of whom are at risk.

Despite all of these problems, TAFE teachers continue to provide quality technical and further education for the public good.

There is no doubt that TAFE teachers are highly valued by students and communities. A recent public survey found that 39 per cent strongly agreed and a further 35 per cent agreed that the NSW Government should increase its level of support for TAFE. That is, 74 per cent agreed that the NSW Government was undervaluing TAFE!

The question remains though, how much does the NSW Government really value "the magnificent work teachers do and their immeasurable contribution to society", acknowledged publicly by the Premier Bob Carr. The Government's 3% + 3% salary offer significantly devalues teachers.

Action

1. Funding cuts, the proposed restructure and workload impact

a) Industrial action

In a letter of June 12, 2002, the previous Minister for Education and Training, stated: "Teachers are not being asked -- and will not be asked -- to fund their own salary increases"; that teacher salary increases "will be funded from the Budget, including from procurement and information technology savings"; and also stated that these savings "will have no effect on classes, classroom teachers, course offerings or provision."

This was a commitment from the Minister on behalf of the NSW Government and as such continues until the end of 2003. The 2003/04 NSW Budget, however, cut TAFE funding by one per cent in real terms and does not provide for the expected growth in student demand of between one per cent and six per cent.

If any Institute moves to cut courses or services to students as a result of inadequate funding despite demand, members are to advise the Federation immediately so that appropriate industrial action can be considered.

Federation will continue to fund a TAFE TA representative on the Excessive Teacher Workload Committee and support the campaign's implementation to reduce workload in TAFE. Branch/regional meetings will be held to provide solidarity and regarding what work teachers will not undertake without the appropriate support, resources and training.

TAFE TA will develop strategies around increased workload, using the Association's own survey as the base document. Federation will provide funding to support working groups in the development of these strategies and a program of implementation.

b) Political action

TAFE TA will continue to undertake lobbyist training and lobbying exercises throughout the next year. This will include a training day and the development of a plan to continue lobbying of Federal parliamentarians in the lead up to the next federal election.

Some of the issues to be raised are increased funding for TAFE in real terms (including funding for growth in student demand and for special needs education), turning back competition policy/user choice/privatisation, opposition to a HECS type fee in TAFE, Australian Quality Training Framework issues including the need to improve the minimum qualifications for VET trainers and assessors, and education union representation on ANTA decision making bodies. Pressure will be brought to bear about the development of a new ANTA Agreement.

This continued lobbying will include visits by TAFE TA representatives to politicians, the dissemination of newsletters, bulletins, and the preparation of briefing papers to enable politicians to raise TAFE issues in both the Federal and NSW Parliaments.

c) Proposed DET/TAFE restructure

The Federation is appalled at the ill conceived proposed restructure of TAFE and the Department of Education and Training that if implemented, will lead to the loss of about 700 jobs in TAFE and will severely limit TAFE's ability to continue to provide quality vocational education and training. Federation will ensure that there is a consultative process that is transparent and accessible to all Federation members. Any new structures for the Department must address the following issues.

• TAFE is retained as a separate entity able to manage its own budget and undertake its own policy development and research
• there must be clear reporting lines between Institute management and the TAFE Commissioner or Deputy Director-General
• management of TAFE must be undertaken by educationalists with TAFE knowledge and expertise
• TAFE must continue to develop its own curriculum on a statewide basis. No curriculum will be developed by Institutes unless specifically agreed with the Federation
• there must be funding and support for the TAFE Equity units in order that they can undertake the educational provision for TAFE Institutes
• TAFE human resources and industrial relations issues must continue to be dealt with wherever possible at a statewide level with those who have knowledge and expertise in the TAFE area.

TAFE teachers and educational staff will undertake a variety of actions to oppose this restructure. These will include non participation in the implementation in the Units of Competence project, and non implementation of the Government's election commitments. The Federation will lodge a dispute in the Industrial Relations Commission and seek legal advice around the implementation of this restructure including the consultative processes and the legislative requirements of the TAFE Commission, the Board of Vocational Education and Training and the Vocational Education and Training Advisory Board. The Federation will develop further strategies for industrial action, in consultation with TAFE TA Executive.

d) National Training Agenda and funding review

In final negotiations regarding the current award there was agreement with DET to undertake a review around issues relating to the National Training Agenda and the implications of ANTA funding arrangements for TAFE NSW. Federation will support the implementation of recommendations from this review and consider strategies for further research around changes, including those regarding funding models, and will undertake work together with the Federal TAFE Research Officers to address these strategies and changes.

2. Public Education Campaign

In support of this campaign, Federation will promote the role of TAFE as the public provider of vocational and further education through the media in as many outlets as possible. Federation will also publicise the need for the proper funding of TAFE, especially in the lead up to the next federal election. Federation will also work with other unions, associations, industry and community bodies to highlight the vital role of TAFE in contributing to the Australian economy. Federation endorses joint Federation/TAFE TA action with the National tertiary Education Union (NTEU) and National Union of Students (NUS) in campaigning for public education in the annual National Day of Action and in the Tertiary Education Alliance.

Federation will support the use of the Public Education Fund where appropriate for TAFE advertising, which complements schools advertising.

The campaign around TAFE will include the following elements:

• support for TAFE TA members in making TAFE an important issue both leading up to and after the next Federal election
• increasing membership and activism within TAFE colleges/campuses
• promoting the work of TAFE teachers, especially in areas such as Worldskills.

3. Staffing agreement

Federation will continue its political campaign to restore permanency through continued monitoring of the TAFE staffing agreement for the next three financial years, which will:

a) establish about 500 more full time equivalent positions than currently exist

b) give priority to current long term part time casual teachers for filling additional permanent positions, so that 55 per cent of teaching in NSW is by permanent teachers (70 per cent is our ultimate aim)

c) ensure excess teaching by permanent teachers does not increase.

The Federation will work to ensure that the government puts in place strategies to increase the level of permanency at the expiry of this agreement, and that additional funds are allocated to support this new agreement.

The Federation will also finalise negotiations to codify the employment conditions of temporary teachers.

4. Part time casual teacher pro-rata conditions award application

The Federation is to allocate sufficient resources to ensure that positive publicity and political pressure continues to support a successful outcome from the part time casual (PTC) teacher pro-rata case in the Industrial Relations Commission.

5. NSW TAFE fees

Federation deplores the proposed increases in TAFE student fees by up to 300 per cent, as announced in the NSW Budget. In particular, Federation is concerned about the impact of the abolition of course exemptions. This will have particular effect on those who are most disadvantaged and marginalised in our community.

Federation will lobby state parliamentarians and community groups to restore course exemptions. The Federation will seek legal advice regarding the apparent breach of the TAFE Commission Act section 6 Objectives relating to TAFE's obligation to provide access to TAFE for disadvantaged groups. Federation reminds the State Labor Government of the ALP policy calling for the abolition of all fees for TAFE mainstream courses.

If course exemptions are not restored and the proposed new TAFE fees significantly decreased to a level that the Federation finds acceptable, TAFE TA members will take industrial action around the 2004 TAFE enrolments. This will include all teachers not signing enrolment forms or only charging students as per the current administration charge. Federation will hold discussions with the PSA to develop joint action.

As these proposed new TAFE fees have caused confusion amongst students in this enrolment period, especially in relation to course exemptions, members are authorised to commence and continue classes below the number of students normally required if they believe the proposed fees have had an impact on course numbers semester 2, 2003.

Members are also authorised to seek maximum publicity for their action.

Federation develop leaflets for students outlining the impact of the proposal to increase TAFE fees and suggest action they can take either individually or collectively to overturn this outrageous State Government proposition.

Federation demands that the State Labor Government adhere to their stated policy of abolishing all TAFE fees.

6. Activism in TAFE TA

Strategies will continue to be developed by TAFE TA representative bodies. This will include state and national networks to discuss casualisation/permanency issue, and the TAFE TA project on successful activist models in branches.

Discussions will be held around additional Federation funding to support the implementation of the models of strong activism in TAFE TA branches, to increase membership especially of PTCs and to improve participation in TAFE TA Executive and Council.

If Institute Consultative Committees (ICCs) resume operation after agreement on new guidelines, training of our representatives will be undertaken and consideration given to how the ICCs can be used to promote branch activism and support new activists.

7. Schofield Review -- Implementation of Third Generation Curriculum

Federation will continue discussions with DET/TAFE around the implementation of Third Generation Curriculum. However, Federation will not agree to any diminution in provision of curriculum in TAFE, or to enrolment to Training Package competencies only. We will ensure that Divisions and development of curriculum remain a central part of TAFE's educational processes. The Federation opposes the proposals in the TAFE/DET restructure that reduce the number of Division educational staff, and seeks to make curriculum development the responsibility of teachers. The guidelines agreed with the union around levels of curriculum development will be maintained.

8. Professional development

Federation will support the increase in professional development for TAFE teachers and educational staff as proposed in the Schofield review and outlined in Government election commitments. Professional development must be driven by teachers and educational staff, and must focus primarily on teaching and learning, and increasing teaching skills and knowledge.

9. Pilot schemes

Federation will continue to meet with the DET to negotiate appropriate policies and guidelines for flexibly delivered classes and the use of computer based management systems (for example, CLAMS). This particularly relates to piloting of DET's online and Internet service products, which have implications for teacher workload and privacy. Federation will also argue at these meetings for the reinstatement of a maximum class sizes committee to set statewide class size standards. Failing a successful outcome, Federation will investigate pursuing these matters in the NSW Industrial Relations Commission.

10. Teacher standards

Federation will continue to campaign for the maintenance of high educational standards in TAFE and fight for the raising of the level of the inadequate "competence" standards for trainers and assessors of Vocational Education and Training in the Australian Quality Training Framework. This "no teaching qualification necessary" approach will be exposed as a strategy to advantage low cost, low quality private providers, by attempting to downgrade the profession of university level qualified TAFE teachers. Federation will fight to replace these new standards with agreed educational standards for Registered Training Organisations and for TAFE teachers in a TAFE section of an Institute of Teaching.

11. Discounting of module/subject and course duration

Members are to be reminded to continue to oppose educationally unsound "course compression" by insisting on having what the teacher believes are adequate hours and resources to ensure that students attain the usual learning standards. If members are unduly pressured to discount hours, they should contact their TAFE Organiser immediately.

The Federation will develop and enact appropriate strategies to stop this unsound practice.

12. Trades and issues around apprenticeships

Trade Implementation workshops have been held in all Institutes around the state, to consider the needs of teachers in carrying out the increasing amounts of work associated with apprenticeships. This work has arisen due to the changes to the National Training Agenda and the new Apprenticeship and Traineeship Act in this state. These changes have resulted in delivery and assessment being conducted on and off the job. The additional workload expected of teachers and head teachers is significant, and involves setting up and negotiating Training Plans, assessing on the job, collecting and validating workplace evidence, developing student profiles and capstone testing.

Teachers are finding that many employers are either not interested, or do not have the time to participate in the training and assessment of their apprentices. They expect that this is TAFE's job. Consequently, teachers are experiencing difficulties in having Training Plans signed, and having log books signed off with evidence of the apprentice having demonstrated competency.

Following presentations from both the Division Directors and the Federation, teachers met in workshops to detail the additional work required of them, and to decide on the support and resources required. There were many similarities across the state, and the educational hours required were around four hours per apprentice a year. Trained and dedicated administrative support was identified as being necessary as well. Travelling time was on top of this. Teachers were also concerned about their responsibilities and legal liability in validating workplace evidence.

Institutes now have the responsibility to provide the resources identified, even though there will be discussions at the central level around these resources, how they will be written into curriculum documentation and other changes including legal liability for validation and how teaching hours are used for associated duties.

Action

Federation will continue to negotiate with TAFE around the provision of resources, including teaching hours and administrative support for teachers to undertake the additional work associated with apprenticeships and traineeships. Until these resources are agreed with the Federation and provided to teachers on top of current section budgets, TAFE teachers are to refuse to undertake the additional work.

The Federation will seek legal advice around the responsibility of teachers to sign off and validate workplace evidence. Whilst teachers are unable to ascertain the extent of the delivery and assessment in the workplace, they should not be expected to sign off that the evidence provided has been validated.

13. Award working parties

The Federation will campaign for the provision of additional funding by the Government to implement the recommendations from the award working parties set up under the Shaw process. The Federation will continue to pursue issues of equity in pay for educational officers in TAFE. The Federation will also campaign for the head teachers' agreement to be changed to address the workload issues of head teachers as well as being updated to meet changed needs in TAFE.

14. Skills development

Federation will support the implementation of appropriate recommendations from the Senate Inquiry into Current and Future Skills Needs. The Federation will work with other unions such as the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) to ensure that funding is provided to meet the training needs in this state. Federation will work with the AEU to ensure that the new National Industry Skills Council includes educational representatives from the AEU as well as other appropriate unions. The Federation opposes the Federal Government's policy of excluding unions' involvement in the National Training Agenda.

15. Save Seaforth TAFE

Federation once again affirms its continued support through the NSW Labor Council of the retention of the whole of Seaforth TAFE campus, now many years an unresolved issue and the most patently obvious failure of the NSW Government to truly value provision of TAFE to this community.

Federation further congratulates the local Member for Manly, David Barr, and all the numerous supporters that continue to save Seaforth TAFE for future generations.

AMES

The new round of tender submissions for the five years commencing July 2003 have now been decided. AMES has won back one of the three lost regions, covering Southern Sydney and Illawarra. The Inner City region, largely AMES, was retained, but only in conjunction with a broad consortium of providers, which reduces the AMES jobs retained in the Inner City region from almost 100 per cent to 61 per cent, with 215 going to TAFE and 18 per cent to the University of Technology (UTS) and University of NSW (UNSW). AMES already had a number of surplus teachers, after redundancies, from the previous loss of tenders. The nature of the consortium in the Inner City would have increased this number of surplus teachers as it gave away a lot of AMEP work previously taught by AMES teachers, to consortium partners.

Fortunately the winning of the Southern Sydney/Illawarra region tender will absorb these AMES teachers. A major centre will open at Bankstown, with a smaller campus at Campsie. The Open Training and Education Network (OTEN) will take over most of the Distance Learning provision, with the rest going to private providers. Unfortunately for AMES displaced teachers, the Southern Sydney/Illawarra tender, too, is a partner with others in a consortium. Fortunately for Federation another partner is TAFE NSW, with ACE also involved, so that most of the other newly won positions will also fall under Teachers Federation coverage. The net result for AMES is that there will still be displaced teachers after winning the Southern Sydney/Illawarra region back. Much of the new AMEP provision -- probably all in the Illawarra -- will be taught by TAFE teachers, and it is anticipated that they will all be part time casual teachers. TAFE has not indicated at present that any of the TAFE provision in Southern Sydney/Illawarra will result in the creation of new permanent positions. OTEN has created one permanent position, filled by a displaced AMES teacher on redeployment. It appears likely that the OTEN provision will not include new enrolments, but mainly an adjunct service for other regions to supplement their provision.

It appears from the above that the winning of the new tender has been at the cost at least partly of TAFE's increased levels of casualisation of its workforce. The part time casual TAFE teachers who will teach on the AMEP program are paid only 58 per cent of their permanent counterparts, and receive few of the permanent teachers' conditions. This highlights some of the inequities caused by the Commonwealth's tendering system -- exploitation of a marginalised workforce. The tendering system is a problem in other ways, most of which impact directly on provision of quality teaching and a quality education, especially when a tender is won by private providers with no commitment to a unionised, qualified workforce.

The Commonwealth should have been impressed by the wide scope of the tender partners who joined with AMES. AMESTA is pleased that AMES won back one of the regions, but it would have preferred that more direct permanent positions were created by the win, whether in AMES or TAFE. However, it was a win for high quality language tuition in public education!

Federation has continued to support the activists and groups who work for the release from behind barbed wire, and access to public education, of refugees and migrants in Australia. This included support for the many anti-war rallies and actions.

Action

Federation will continue to campaign to restore full recurrent Commonwealth funding to AMES so that English classes for adult migrants and refugees are returned to the public education system. The campaign will target the Federal Government and Opposition and minor parties in the Federal Parliament. Federation will seek maximum support for AMES from the State Government and will work to build maximum community support.

Corrective Services

Adult Education and Vocational Training Institute

The population of the NSW Correctional System has increased substantially in recent years due to the impact of longer sentences, the impact of the new Bail Act and the continuing use of imprisonment as a punishment rather than consideration of community based options. Not withstanding that crime is a serious issue for the community it is also the responsibility of government to ensure that inmates are able to reintegrate into the community upon release.

Correctional Centres are harsh places which, in themselves, form a total community of inmates, correctional officers, psychologists, welfare workers, chaplains, drug and alcohol workers, parole officers and teachers. Into this community also come the family of inmates who visit their loved ones in custody, and who have hopes and wishes that on release they will be able to reintegrate successfully into society.

Imprisonment places enormous burdens on families who have a member in prison. These costs are not only financial but also impact socially on their children and their status within the broader community.

Educators working within the Department of Corrective Services, Adult Education and Vocational Training Institute provide courses to inmates that aim to assist inmates to develop skills and aptitudes to improve their prospects for post release reintegration into the wider community. These programs consist of classroom subjects, vocational education, creative and cultural activities, physical education and sports, social education and library facilities. The provision of education programs is in the form of accredited training equivalent to that available in the community and is delivered by professional educators. These standards of Education Quality that define the breadth and nature of educational programs delivered to inmates by Federation members is now guaranteed by award provisions.

These programs provide opportunities for some of the most disadvantaged groups from both the broader community and within that other community which we know as the prison, and work to improve the quality of life of inmates both whilst in custody and upon release. An important function of educational programs is to counteract the degenerative impact of correctional institutions, long term incarceration and the influence of criminal sub-cultures upon inmates. Educational programs most importantly have a regenerative impact upon inmates and correctional communities.

Research in the United States prepared for the Office of Correctional Education (US Department of Education) demonstrates that there is a statistically significant correlation between participation in education programs whilst in custody and reduced rates of recidivism.

The Federation acknowledges the recent betterments, which have occurred for teachers in Corrective Services through the implementation of the most recent award, which provided for permanent teachers, Educational Quality, and improved outcomes. Recently negotiated amendments to the regulations will also provide for improvements to the benefit of our inmate students, their families and communities.

Further progress can continue to be made by further guaranteeing the provision of educational programs to inmates, improving the environment in which our teachers work and our students learn, and the allocation of additional funds to lift the level of provision and its breadth of delivery with improved staffing levels.

Salary increases for teachers in Corrective Services should be directly linked to the broader teaching profession and also carry an additional remuneration in recognition of the dangerous and difficult circumstances encountered by educators working in penal environments.

Action

1. The Federation will continue to publicise the important role of educational provision within Corrective Services through using the Public Education Fund.

2. The Federation will continue to work with other groups in the community to improve the provision of education to inmates within Corrective Services.

3. The Federation will continue to seek legislative improvements, which guarantee the delivery of education within correctional centres and to defend Federation members civil and political rights.

4. The Federation will continue to campaign to increase the level of teaching provision and the number of permanent teachers employed within Corrective Services.

5. The Federation will continue to campaign for salary increases for members employed by the Department of Corrective Services Adult Education and Vocational Training Institute which generally reflect their worth as teachers, and value to their students and community.

6. Members will participate in the broader salary campaign, however, in their lobbying and other activities their focus will be on education issues within Corrective Services.

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Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005