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FACT SHEET
Tasmanian Qualifications Authority (Amendment) Bill 2015
This legislation gives effect to the Government’s decision to establish a new model for
the development and management of senior secondary qualification processes in
Tasmania.
The Bill covers two areas – curriculum development for senior secondary courses and
the establishment of the office of Tasmanian Assessment, Standards and Certification
(TASC). TASC will replace the Tasmanian Qualifications Authority.
In regard to curriculum development, the Minister will establish priorities for the
development of the curriculum for senior secondary education on the advice of the
Secretary responsible for the Act (the Department of Education). In developing that
advice the Secretary is required to consult and work collaboratively with any
organisations that represent all, or any group of, registered schools. The Secretary is
also required to consider the needs of the Tasmanian workforce and the needs of
providers of vocational education and training and of higher education.
The TQA will be replaced by TASC. TASC will be constituted by a statutory officer
known as the Executive Officer. TASC will have the same functions as the TQA
currently has, including managing senior secondary examination processes, accrediting
senior secondary courses and public reporting on years 11 and 12 student achievement.
TASC will be independent and will report to the Minister for Education and Training.
TASC will be required to develop a senior secondary accreditation framework that will
be approved by the Minister. In developing the framework, the Executive Officer will
be required to consult with a framework advisory council. The council’s role is to
advise and assist TASC and the Minister in relation to the development, review and
implementation of the senior secondary accreditation framework. There will be a core
membership of the council of the three education sectors, TasTAFE and the University
of Tasmania. Other appointments can be made where a strong rationale exists. The
Department of Education will continue to provide corporate support to TASC in the
same way as it currently does for the TQA. The department will also provide
additional support to assist TASC with its data management responsibilities.
The majority of amendments are to give effect to the replacement of the TQA by
TASC and substitute the word ‘authority’ with ‘office’. There are a number of
consequential amendments to other legislation in similar vein.
A number of transitional provisions have been included to support transition to the
new model.
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