APPENDIX 1
COMMONWEALTH UPDATE ON RESPONSE TO RECOMMENDATIONS IN COME IN CINDERELLA
At the hearing on 1 August 1996, the Committee noted the structural and
policy changes in ACE reflected in the DEETYA submission (incorporated
into the Hansard of 1 August 1996). In the context of discussing those
recommendations of Come in Cinderella which were not picked up
by Governments, the Committee asked DEETYA to consider the recommendations
again and provide a response to them. The following response does not
cover areas where responsibility rests solely with State and Territory
governments.
Recommendation 1
The Committee recommends the immediate establishment of a high level
Working Party to develop a national policy on adult and community education,
drawing upon the findings of this Report, to be launched by mid-1992.
The Committee suggests that the Working party be convened jointly by the
Australian Education Council (AEC) and the Conference of Ministers of
Vocational Education, Employment and Training (MOVEET).
As stated in DEETYA's submission to the Senate Inquiry, a National Policy
on ACE was formulated by the Ministerial Council for Education, Employment,
Training and Youth Affairs
(MCEETYA - comprising the former Australian Education Council, Ministers
of Vocational Education, Employment and Training and the Youth Ministers
Council) and endorsed by Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers in
1993. The policy recognises that ACE is an education provision that exists
in its own right and that it complements the core provision of the school,
TAFE and higher education systems and may provide alternative access to
these systems.
In July 1996 MCEETYA endorsed continuation of the MCEETYA ACE Taskforce,
established in November 1994 to advise on ACE policy issues, to enable
it to review and make recommendations about policy revisions to the national
policy to take account of changes in the education and training environment
since 1993. The Taskforce is expected to report to MCEETYA in mid-1997.
Recommendation 2
The Committee recommends the immediate establishment by the Commonwealth
of a formal Advisory Committee on Adult and Community Education to assist
the Minister in Policy Formulation and other matters related to the sector.
This Advisory Committee should be of the type provided for in Section
IV of the Employment, Education and Training Act, 1988, and its membership
shall reflect the diversity of the sector. The Advisory Committee shall:
- report to the Minister, via the National Board of Employment, Education
and Training (NBEET), on the role of the Commonwealth in adult and community
education, in particular concerning the priorities, strategies, targets
and resources associated with the provision of adult and community education
by both government and community-based agencies;
- formulate a draft Commonwealth policy and contribute to the development
of a national policy by the States, Territories and Commonwealth under
the auspices of the ACE and MOVEET (now MCEETYA);
- monitor the implementation of national policy and report to the
Minister on the extent, efficiency and equity of its implementation;
- provide advice regarding desirable changes to existing Commonwealth
structures and policies which would facilitate the implementation of
national policy; and
- liaise with other councils of NBEET to encourage a coordinated,
mutually supportive approach to the provision of adult and community
education by the schools, TAFE and higher education sectors.
In May 1992 the Chair of NBEET received a formal reference from the then
Minister requesting advice on `ways in which the ACE sector can be covered
within the Board's structure'. The Board established an Adult and Community
Education Working Party to advise it on this matter.
The Board agreed that the Working Party delay consideration of the reference
pending the release of the guidelines of a national policy for ACE being
developed by the AEC/MOVEET Working Party and clarification of the role
of Australian National Training Authority in relation to ACE. However,
the Working Party did consider that it might be appropriate for a person
with expertise or experience in ACE to be appointed to the Board when
next there was a suitable vacancy. No vacancy occurred between this decision
and the last Federal general election. In light of the Government's subsequent
decision to abolish NBEET and, with the exception of the Higher Education
Council and the Australian Research Council, its constituent councils,
the proposal for an advisory committee reporting to NBEET is no longer
relevant.
However, as noted above (recommendation 1) a National Policy on ACE was
developed and endorsed by Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers
in 1993. Both the MCEETYA ACE Taskforce and the responsible area of DEETYA
(see recommendation 3 below) monitor the implementation of the National
Policy, liaise with other education and training sectors and provide advice
as appropriate. The Government, therefore, sees no need for an additional
advisory committee.
Recommendation 3
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth Department of Employment,
Education and Training designate an office within the Department to be
responsible for the implementation of Commonwealth policy in adult and
community education, and to ensure that adult and community education
has a permanent presence within the Commonwealth bureaucracy. The office
should have close links with related areas, notably those dealing with
vocational education and training, with literacy and migrant education.
Responsibility for the implementation of Commonwealth policy on ACE is
held by Youth, Students and Social Policy Division in DEETYA, which advises
Ministers on ACE issues.
The area responsible has a brief to monitor ACE developments and represent
the Commonwealth on the MCEETYA ACE Taskforce. Its responsibilities include
developing close links, and liaising with education, training and employment
service areas on ACE issues. It has close links with State and Territory
government agencies through membership of the Taskforce and bodies such
as ANTA, the Australian Association of Adult and Community Education (AAACE),
and other community based ACE organisations.
Recommendation 4
The Committee recommends that, in the development of a national policy
for adult and community education, priority consideration be given to
increased funding for the sector.
Amongst other intended outcomes of Goal 1 (To Realise the Potential
of ACE) the National ACE Policy, endorsed by State, Territory and
Commonwealth Ministers in 1993, states:
. `The existing and potential contribution of ACE to general and vocational
educational education and training will be considered in the allocation
of government resources. The allocation of government resources for ACE
will be based on clear and consistent funding principles.'; and
. `ACE provision will be expanded to agreed levels in line with government
and community priorities.'.
Strategies to achieve these outcomes included use of a national data
collection system and the allocation of government funds to support ACE
administration.
A new statistical standard (the Australian Vocational Education and Training
Management Information and Statistics Standard - AVETMISS) was endorsed
by State, Territory and Commonwealth Ministers in 1993. AVETMISS allows
for the collection of national ACE participation data alongside the traditional
collection of TAFE participation data and is being progressively implemented.
The Commonwealth has funded ACE providers to deliver labour market programmes
since the 1980s and provides other funding, through ANTA (which since
1994 has responsibility for any Commonwealth funding, direct or indirect,
for ACE):
. the Adult and Community Education Programme, a continuing programme
now administered by ANTA provides funds to support ACE research, promote
adult learning and assist the AAACE to continue its role as the national
peak body;
. State and Territory governments, at their discretion and to varying
extents, direct some of the Commonwealth funding for vocational education
and training provided under the ANTA agreement to the ACE sector; and
. community based ACE providers provide a significant amount of the training
funded under government labour market training programmes.
Under the Government's reformed labour market assistance arrangements
to be introduced from December 1997, labour market assistance will be
delivered under contract by private and community Employment Placement
Enterprises (EPEs) as well as a corporatised public EPE, the successor
to the Commonwealth Employment Service. EPEs will be paid for placing
job seekers and will be free to choose the type of labour market assistance
they see necessary to get the job seeker into a job. Consequently, although
existing labour market training programmes may cease to exist, ACE providers
may continue to provide training assistance on behalf of EPEs where the
EPE judges that training assistance will result in the job seeker obtaining
employment. ACE providers may also seek to become EPEs in their own right.
Recommendation 5
The Committee recommends that the Department of Employment, Education
and Training modify its funding guidelines to provide for both vocational
and non-vocational criteria in determining grant allocations for adult
and community education.
As indicated above ANTA has, since 1994, had responsibility for decisions
regarding funding of ACE.
As noted in response to Recommendation 4 above, ACE providers play a
significant role in the provision of government funded labour market training
programmes which allow for non-vocational content such as basic literacy
and numeracy education where appropriate. Following introduction of the
reformed labour market assistance arrangements from December 1997, ACE
providers will have the opportunity to provide training assistance on
behalf of EPEs, where the EPE determines that training assistance is required.
Recommendation 6
The Committee recommends that State and Commonwealth governments adopt
funding practices which facilitate long-term planning in adult and community
education by focussing on triennial funding rather than submission-based
funding processes.
As noted above, responsibility for any Commonwealth funding, direct or
indirect, for ACE now rests with ANTA. Under the terms of the ANTA agreement,
ANTA has no role in non-vocational education provided by community based
providers and consequently can only direct funding in relation to vocational
education and training.
The VET Funding Act provides Commonwealth funding on a three year rolling
basis to facilitate long-term planning by State and Territory governments.
However, the basis upon which States and Territories direct Commonwealth
funds channelled through ANTA (eg. program based criteria or triennial
funding) is determined by the State and Territory governments.
Recommendation 7
The Committee recommends that whenever government agencies provide
a grant to adult and community education providers for the delivery of
a particular programme that grant shall include, as a matter of course,
a component specifically to provide for child care.
This recommendation runs counter to past and present government policy
of providing child care on needs-based criteria. In the present fiscal
environment the government's policy on child care is aimed to ensuring
that child care assistance is equitable and provided to families in greatest
need.
From 1988 to 1996 a Commonwealth child care capital programme provided
for approximately $3million each year of the broader annual infrastructure
programme funds (approximately $200million per year) to be available for
the construction of child care centres on TAFE campuses. ANTA assumed
responsibility for the programme and the infrastructure funding in 1994.
Access to the child care places created under the programme was not restricted
to TAFE students. In total, approximately $23.7 million was provided over
the period.
From 1997 no funds will be specifically allocated for this purpose, but
State and Territory governments can, at their discretion, direct a proportion
of infrastructure or recurrent funding provided through ANTA to the provision
of child care places for students in TAFE or ACE vocational or non-vocational
programs.
As noted in response to Recommendation 4, EPEs will be free to choose
the type of assistance they provide to their clients under the Government's
recent reforms to labour market assistance. The assistance could take
the form of child care assistance in appropriate cases.
Recommendation 8
The committee recommends that the introduction of state
government funding support for neighbourhood houses and community learning
centres in those states where it does not yet exist
This is a matter for the states and territories to consider.
Recommendation 9
The committee recommends that each state and territory establish
a formal consultative mechanism across human services departments at ministerial
level or senior officer level to coordinate and monitor policy on adult
and community education.
This is a matter for the states and territories to consider.
Recommendation 10
The committee recommends the development by all states and territories
of a network of regional councils of adult and community education with
the intention that as far as practicable decisions which have a direct
bearing upon local providersparticularly those relating to the distribution
of resourcesbe devolved to the regional level.
This is a matter for the states and territories to consider. However
the Commonwealth acknowledges that the strength of this sector is drawn
from its local community support and would wish to see this maintained
and developed with a minimum of layers of coordination and control.
Recommendation 11
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth establish, with support
from the States, a National Institute of Research, Innovation and Teaching
in Adult and Community Education. The precise structure and functions
of the Institute should be determined by the proposed Commonwealth Advisory
Committee to the Minister, to reflect the close relationship between research
and the practice of adult education. The adult education community should
have significant control over the program and activities of the Institute.
This recommendation was not supported by the previous government. The
present government's view is that the policy machinery now in place through
MCEETYA, the MCEETYA ACE Taskforce, ANTA (which provides funding for VET
and ACE research into adult education) and its Ministerial Council (MINCO)
provides sufficient focus on ACE and adult education.
Recommendation 12
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth undertake a comprehensive
review of the funding and delivery of the basic education of adults. Such
a review should consider, amongst other things:
- the extent of publicly-funded entitlements which adults can utilise
to meet their basic education needs; such entitlements could range from
tax-concessions to vouchers.
- The minimum level of education which all adults can expect to receive
at public expense, that is, at no direct cost to themselves, or in the
case of employees to their employer.
The Government's view is that courses provided by the sector that are
presently self-funding should remain so.
Education income support arrangements, such as AUSTUDY and ABSTUDY, provide
financial assistance to support and encourage young people and adults
to complete their secondary education and to go on to further study. The
schemes provide financial assistance on a non-competitive basis to students
in approved full-time accredited secondary and tertiary courses (including
literacy and English as A Second Language courses).
Student assistance arrangements are currently being revised to reflect
the policy directions of the government which were foreshadowed in the
Youth Allowance discussion paper released with the Budget in August
1996.
In addition to income support arrangements, Commonwealth funded labour
market training programmes have provided unemployed people with access
to a range of training programmes to improve their employment prospects.
As noted above (Recommendation 4), under reformed labour market assistance
arrangements to be introduced from December 1997 labour market assistance
will be delivered under contract by Employment Placement Enterprises (EPEs).
Although under these new arrangements specific labour market training
programmes will largely cease to exist, EPEs will be able to arrange appropriate
training assistance for their clients where they judge that training will
result in employment.
Recommendation 13
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth:
(a) extends its support for existing projects directed towards the
establishment of national schemes for competency standards, recognition
of prior learning, credit transfer and related matters; and
(b) specifically require that such projects take into account the
needs of, and recognise the skills formation role of, the adult and community
education sector.
The Australian National Training Authority has provided support for competency
standards development since 1994. Approximately 76% of the workforce is
now covered by industry and enterprise based competency standards.
Where competency standards exist they have formed the basis for curriculum
development and course outcomes. The accreditation of courses and registration
of training providers provides for recognition of prior learning and articulation.
Accredited courses can be delivered (subject to normal copyright/licensing
arrangements) by registered providers which, when applicable, could include
ACE providers.
ANTA funding is now being directed to the development of training packages.
These packages will draw together the endorsed elements of competency
standards, assessment arrangements and national qualifications. Priority
will be given to developments identified by industry. The packages can
include other documentation including learning and professional development
materials.
The Commonwealth has been a strong advocate of the need to develop credit
transfer arrangements. Although no national credit transfer arrangements
that allow for automatic credit transfer across all education and training
sectors have yet been agreed between the interested parties, significant
progress has been made. To varying extents, in all States and Territories
agreements now exist that allow for credit transfer between TAFE colleges,
universities and ACE providers. Many of these agreements, however, have
been negotiated between institutions at a regional level.
Recommendation 14
The Committee recommends that the Department of Employment, Education
and Training commission a report into ways in which a clearinghouse function
could be effected in the adult and community education sector. The function
should build upon existing networks within the sector to provide for the
dissemination of ideas and developments in curriculum, teaching methods
and other matters of professional concern to adult educators, and might
be a responsibility of the proposed Institute
Since the release of the report, Come In Cinderella, the Commonwealth
has cooperated with State and Territory Governments on two significant
developments which have largely addressed the need for a clearinghouse
for the sector.
First, Commonwealth and State Ministers of Education and Training have
established the Open Learning Technology Corporation Ltd (OLTC) to provide
services related to open learning for education and training providers,
including Adult and Community Education providers, throughout Australia.
One of the core services provided by the OLTC is an Information Service
which is intended to target the needs of managers in each education and
training sector.
Secondly, since mid 1995 the Commonwealth has been cooperating with all
sectors of the education and training community in the development of
the Education Network Australia (EdNA) initiative. A major feature of
EdNA is its Directory of Services.
The EdNA VET Directory already includes information on Adult and Community
Education (ACE). In addition, an ACE Reference Group is currently being
established to design a directory structure for the ACE section of the
EdNA Directory which will meet identified needs of the ACE sector.
In addition to these initiatives an electronic ACE Clearinghouse (based
in Melbourne) has been established by the National Centre for Vocational
Education Research.
The Commonwealth considers that, following the establishment of these
services, the requirements for a clearinghouse function for the ACE sector
have largely been met.
Recommendation 15
The Committee recommends that, in the development of a national policy
for adult and community education, consideration be given to the establishment
of a professional development fund - along the lines of the Higher Education
Staff Development Fund - whereby adult and community educators may receive
financial support to enable the upgrading of their professional qualifications
or other training and development purposes.
While very important, the improvement of teaching and other professional
skills in the adult and community education sector is primarily a matter
for employing authorities at the State or local level. As stated in its
submission to the 1992 Senate inquiry, the continuing development of trainer
training materials in the vocational education area will assist teachers
in the ACE sector.
Recommendation 16
The Committee recommends that, as a stimulus to research by practising
educators, the Commonwealth provide over each of the next five years two
Adult Education Research Scholarship Grants comparable to average weekly
earnings.
The Commonwealth funds equivalent grants through the Australian Research
Council. The Australian Research Council has been asked for advice on
current research relevant to ACE and to give consideration to encouraging
further work in this area.
Recommendation 17
The Committee recommends that the Higher Education Council of NBEET
establish a standing committee within the Council to monitor and advise
on the adult and community education role of the universities, particularly
its links with formal award courses, and its contribution to the intellectual
and cultural life of the community at large.
Under the previous government NBEET was asked to address this recommendation.
As the Board had established an NBEET ACE Working Party with responsibility
for providing advice on ways in which adult and community education issues
could be covered within the Board's structure, it did not consider it
necessary for the Higher Education Council to also consider the issue
.
Given the impending abolition of NBEET and the range of bodies already
available to give policy advice on ACE (as noted in recommendation 11
above) the present government does not consider that the establishment
of another body to provide policy advice on ACE is necessary.
Recommendation 18
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth commission a national
survey of participation in community-based adult education and its benefits,
either as a discrete exercise or through the Australian National University's
National Social Science Survey.
In its 1992 response to this recommendation, the previous Government
indicated that it would provide $75,000 over three years to collect further
data about participation in and outcomes from adult and community education
programmes. The Australian National University (ANU) was commissioned
to gather data and report on the findings. Responsibility for the project's
management initially rested with the Australian Association of Adult and
Community Education (AAACE), but after the Australian National Training
Authority (ANTA) was established responsibility was transferred to ANTA.
In addition, the Commonwealth has contributed to a national survey on
ACE participation developed by the AAACE and undertaken as part of the
Australian Bureau of Statistics' (ABS) May 1995 Population Survey Monitor
programme (which also contained a section commissioned by DEETYA on adult
attitudes to and participation in further education and training). Reports
on the findings and access to the data sets are available from the ABS.
Recommendation 19
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth:
- commission a cost-benefit analysis of participation in a representative
sample of adult and community education provision (eg. workplace basic
education, rural community adult education, a group of neighbourhood
houses); and
- within the context of the exercise, assist the providers involved
to design and trial a method of documenting costs and benefits at a
local level.
In its response to the 1992 Senate inquiry, the Commonwealth did not
support the commissioning of a cost benefit analysis. This has not changed.
The Commonwealth has mechanisms in place to ensure that the effectiveness
of programmes is verified where necessary. Where no Commonwealth funds
are used, the Commonwealth believes that the numbers of students attending
and paying for ACE courses is sufficient indication that benefit outweighs
cost in their provision.
Recommendation 20
The Committee recommends that the Australian Education Council engage
a consultant to advise on a mechanism for the collection of standardised
national statistics on participation in adult and community education.
This mechanism should avoid the imposition upon providers of burdensome
record-keeping.
In 1992, Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers agreed to the implementation
of the Australian Vocational Education and Training Management Information
and Statistical Standard. They agreed to the inclusion of adult and community
education data from 1995. The Standard was designed to limit the information
required from these providers, in comparison to the information required
from TAFE providers.
An ACE Statistical Collection Taskforce was established for this purpose
with representation from adult and community education providers. The
inclusion of all activity by recognised ACE providers, both vocational
and recreational, accredited and non accredited, was aimed to facilitate
the measurement of the role of adult and community education providers
in the VET sector.
Recommendation 21
The committee recommends that state and territory governments
establish policies which provide for:
- the free use of school and TAFE buildings by bona fide non-profit
community adult education organisations;
- and reasonable access by such groups to associated facilities such
as libraries, computer rooms, etc.
This is matter for the states and territories to consider.
Recommendation 22
The committee recommends that state education authorities
examine the possibility of the use of regional and rural school bus services
by participants in bona fide adult and community education activities
This is matter for the states and territories to consider.
Recommendation 23
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth publish a comprehensive
guide detailing the various government support schemes available to the
private sector to enhance its training effort.
Current Commonwealth publications readily available through the Australian
Government Publishing Service already detail Commonwealth government support
schemes. In this instance, the most important is the Department of Employment,
Education, Training and Youth Affairs' annual Programmes book.
Recommendation 24
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth support the development
of a comprehensive information database of private training providers
and courses.
A National Register of training providers registered with State/Territory
training authorities, courses and competency standards is currently operational.
The Register is maintained by ANTA. A prototype of a redeveloped Register
(to be known as the National Training Information System) which will allow
easier access to the information is expected to be operational by mid
1997 and will be available on the Internet. Information on new apprenticeship
and traineeship arrangements should be incorporated by the end of 1997.
A separate database of private training providers would duplicate the
Register.
Recommendation 25
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth:
(a) acknowledge the demand upon the adult and community education
sector to meet the needs of adults with disabilities, and its potential
in this regard; and
(b) clarify departmental responsibilities for the education of adults
with disabilities and direct resources accordingly.
(a) The ACE sector has an important role and potential to meet some of
the needs of adults with disabilities. The ability of ACE providers to
deliver training in an accessible manner for those most disadvantaged
in the training system, its responsiveness to local needs and the flexibility
and cost efficiency of its provision, are all important considerations,
particularly given the role of ACE courses as a potential pathway into
the VET system.
The development of partnership arrangements between ACE providers and
other providers including TAFE is very important to the process of preparing
pathways for clients, especially disadvantaged clients, between ACE provision
and the VET system.
(b) Current Commonwealth programmes incorporate clarification of departmental
responsibilities for the education of adults with disabilities and therefore
assist in targeting resources in this area.
The Disability Reform Package (DRP) remains the primary focus for assisting
people with a disability to improve their participation in open employment,
education and vocational training activities through rehabilitation and
job search assistance. DRP clients registered with the Commonwealth Employment
Service are eligible for assistance under the Department's labour market
programmes, providing training, work experience and subsidised employment.
Other services to adults with a disability are coordinated through the
Departments of Health and Family Services and Social Security.
The new arrangements for labour market assistance announced in the 1996/97
Budget maintain emphasis on the needs of special groups including people
with disabilities. Disability support officers located in the service
delivery agency to be established in mid-1997 will be responsible for
assisting clients with a disability to access employment related services,
including intensive employment assistance provided by EPEs from December
1997.
The new arrangements will give EPEs considerable flexibility in providing
services meeting the specific needs of disabled job seekers and strong
incentives to place them in work or other vocationally related outcomes.
Funding allocations and selection guidelines will ensure that people with
disabilities receive an equitable share of labour market assistance.