Australian Higher Education Curriculum Analysis
The Australian Higher Education quality assurance framework, introduced in 2000, had the core function to ensure that quality assurance policies added value to the higher education sector and positioned Australia as a major stakeholder in the global trend to towards “for profit” higher education. In 2005, the Australian Vice Chancellors’ Committee (AVCC), after reviewing quality assurance frameworks, committed itself through the ‘code of Practice and Guidelines for Australian Universities, to the principle that; “the provision of education services to international students, both on-shore and off-shore, brings with it the ethical commitment that quality education be provided and that value be given for the investment made by international
students” (AVCC, 2005, p. 1, cited in Chapman & Pyvis, 2013, p. 88). Also in 2005, the federal government outlined its national quality strategy for transnational education and training to “promote and protect the quality of Australian transnational education including quality in teaching and learning (DEST, 2005a. cited in Chapman & Pyvis, 2013, p. 88). Subsequently in 2007 Australian education and training ministers agreed to the Transnational Quality Strategy (TQS), which established a quality assurance framework for off-shore delivery of Australian transnational education and training. A key principle of the strategy is that “in seeking a well-understood and well-regarded framework it is important to consider successful practices that currently exist and use them as an operating model” (Chapman & Pyvis, 2-13, p. 88). More recently in February 2011, tertiary education minister Chris Evans released a draft legislation to establish the tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) to register providers, evaluate their standards and performance and “protect and assure the quality of international education” (Ibid). The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) is the national regulator for Australia’s VET Sector while the TEQSA is now Australia’s regulatory and quality agency for higher education. The establishment of the two national regulators will “play a vital role in strengthening regulatory activities in relation to international education across Australia” (Stiasny & Gore, 2013, p. 36). In order to maintain a high standard of quality assurance TESQA and ASQA were established as “the guardians of quality in Australia’s higher education and VET sectors” and is supported by the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act (Ibid).
students” (AVCC, 2005, p. 1, cited in Chapman & Pyvis, 2013, p. 88). Also in 2005, the federal government outlined its national quality strategy for transnational education and training to “promote and protect the quality of Australian transnational education including quality in teaching and learning (DEST, 2005a. cited in Chapman & Pyvis, 2013, p. 88). Subsequently in 2007 Australian education and training ministers agreed to the Transnational Quality Strategy (TQS), which established a quality assurance framework for off-shore delivery of Australian transnational education and training. A key principle of the strategy is that “in seeking a well-understood and well-regarded framework it is important to consider successful practices that currently exist and use them as an operating model” (Chapman & Pyvis, 2-13, p. 88). More recently in February 2011, tertiary education minister Chris Evans released a draft legislation to establish the tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) to register providers, evaluate their standards and performance and “protect and assure the quality of international education” (Ibid). The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) is the national regulator for Australia’s VET Sector while the TEQSA is now Australia’s regulatory and quality agency for higher education. The establishment of the two national regulators will “play a vital role in strengthening regulatory activities in relation to international education across Australia” (Stiasny & Gore, 2013, p. 36). In order to maintain a high standard of quality assurance TESQA and ASQA were established as “the guardians of quality in Australia’s higher education and VET sectors” and is supported by the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act (Ibid).