Technical and Further Education in Queensland a History 1860-1990
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> AND ^ FURTHER EDUCATION IN QUEENSLAND A HISTORY 1860-1990 Eddie Clarke FURTHER EDUCATION IN QUEENSLAND A HISTORY 1860-1990 Historical Perspectives on Contemporary Issues in Queensland Education No 7 Eddie Clarke Department ofEducation, Queensland and Bureau of Employment, Vocational and Further Education and Training, Queensland 1992 Historical Perspectives on Contemporary Issues in Queensland Education Acknowledgments This series of reports provides historical perspectives intended to contribute to an objective understanding of current issues in Queensland education The analysis and interpretations in each Department of Education monograph belong to the author, and do not necessarily represent Keith Cordwell, when Senior Education Officer, Pro the views of the Department of Education motions and Investigations Branch, Division of TAFE, Titles published recommended that this history should be written Dr Corporal Punishment in Queensland State Schools (no 1, 1980) Norm Pyle, former Deputy Director (Planning and Sex Education in Queensland A History of the Debate 1900-1980 (no 2, Development) Division of TAFE, and Greg Logan, 1980) Manager, Educational History Unit, Department of Female Teachers in Queensland State Schools A History, 1860-1983 {no 3, 1985) Education, helped to keep the project on track Assessment m Queensland Secondary Schools Tivo Decades of Change, 1964-1983 (no 4, 1987) Education Regions in Queensland Towards a Philosophy and Practice, Bureau of Employment, Vocational and Further 1937-1988 {no 5, 1988) Education and Training Sex Education in Queensland A History of the Debate Since 1900 (no 6, 1991) Ian McGaw, Executive Director, and Ron Dunghson, Titles in preparation Acting Executive Director, Human Resources, Finance A History of Drug and Alcohol Education in Queensland, and Administration, were very supportive of the project 1880- 1990 Brian McKeenng, South Brisbane College of TAFE, Parents and the Community in Queensland State Education, collected reminiscences and illustrative material 1860-1990 Monographs on the History of Education in Queensland is a series also published by the Department of Education This series Past and present officers of TAFE and BEVFET examines significant aspects of Queensland's educational history Numerous officers willingly gave their time to provide reminiscences and illustrative material which proved Tides published A Centenary History of Home Economics Education in Queenslandver y useful 1881- 1981 (no 1, 1981) For permission to reproduce photographs and other State Education in Queensland A Brief History (no 2, 1984) illustrations, thanks are due to the Department's Further information on either series may be obtained from the Educational History Unit, the Bureau of Employment, Educational History Unit, Department of Education, PO Box 33, Vocational and Further Education and Training, John Brisbane North Quay, Q4002, tel (07) 237 0709, 237 0757 Oxley Library, the Daily Sun, and to Colin Marsh and Dudley Eghnton Prepared for publication by officers of Publishing Services, edited by Rex Marshall-Radchffe and designed by Barbara Hutley National Library of Australia Cataloguing m-Publication Data Clarke, Eddie, 1931- Technical and further education in Queensland a history 1860-1990 Bibliography ISBN 0 7242 47211 1 Adult education — Queensland — History 2 Technical education — Queensland — History I Queensland Dept of Education II Queensland Bureau of Employment, Vocational and Further Education and Training III Title (Series Historical perspectives on contemporary issues in Queensland education, no 7) 374 9943 Published by Publishing Services for the Educational History Unit, Department of Education, Queensland, and for thc Bureau of Employment, Vocational and Further Education and Training Queensland © Department of Education, Queensland 1992 V R Ward, Government Pnnter Queensland—1992 136535 Foreword This history documents the evolving role and contribu Eddie Clarke is to be congratulated for his scholar tion of technical and further education in Queensland ship Our gratitude is also extended to the many From its foundation in classes to teach young mechanics educators and members of the community who con and tradespeople the useful arts and sciences, to its tributed What has emerged is an important set of current provision of courses that meet the employment references about the organisation most widely known in and personal needs of many thousands of Queens- the community as 'TAFE' landers, technical and further education has been possibly the most dynamic of our educational systems RH WALLACE, AM Changes in society and particularly in the educa tional expectations of the community are documented Former Managing Director in this study, which also identifies the major forces for Bureau of Employment, Vocational and Further Educa change and traces the problems and solutions which tion and Training, Queensland have emerged June 1992 Contents Acknowledgments 11 Administration 54 Foreword in Staff — efforts to upgrade 56 Introduction 1 Provision of technical education 56 Courses 60 1 Early developments, 1860-1900 3 Students 65 Colonial background 3 Origins of technical education 4 5 New concepts — TAFE, 1974-1987 66 Adaptation to the society, 1882-1900 9 Economic changes 66 Important developments 66 2 The Government takes control, 1901-1918 19 Administration 68 Influences on technical education 19 A professional staff 69 Closer government supervision of the subsidy, Expansion once more 70 1901-1902 20 Courses 72 Board of Technical Education, 1902-1905 — Students 76 a government expediency 20 The Department grasps the netde, 1905-1918 26 6 A time of constant change, 1987-1990 77 Queensland society 77 3 Gradual expansion, 1919-1943 40 Head Office administration 77 Economic and political developments 40 College administration 83 Morris's aims 40 Courses 84 Consolidation of a bureaucratic administration 41 Conclusion 85 Finding the teachers 42 Appendixes Developing a network of technical 1 Technical and further education in Queensland education 43 A chronology 86 Courses 44 2 College opening and closing dates 86 Research 50 3 Technical education syllabus, 1919 87 Commonwealth involvement 50 4 Technical education courses, 1960 88 Students 51 5 Head Office staff, 1987 90 4 The Cinderella image, 1944-1973 53 References 92 Political and economic changes and social attitudes 53 Introduction This history has been prepared in chronological Each chapter, wherever possible, deals with such sequence, with each of the six chapters treating signifi specific topics as aims of technical and further educa cant events in the administration and organisation of tion, administration, staffing, finance and courses technical and further education in Queensland (A available, in an attempt to trace the development withm chronology of these events appears as Appendix 1) these areas over the years Technical and further education, like any other form As well, the history endeavours to describe significant of education, has been shaped by the society from which conflicts, not only internal conflicts but ones involving it emerges Accordingly, each chapter is introduced by a other institutions This description and, where possible, brief analysis of those aspects of Queensland society that identification of forces for change help to explain the were relevant at the time to its development In each directions taken by Queensland technical and further chapter, the relationship between many of these aspects education from 1860 onwards and technical and further education is spelt out 1 5 New concepts — TAFE 1974-1987 Economic changes again resolved that the Commonwealth Government should hold an inquiry When TTAA representatives on 31 January 1973 discussed this resolution with the Com Since the early 1970s, Queensland economic growth has monwealth Minister for Education, Kim Beazley, they increased more than the Australian average, with the were jubilant when he stated that he would implement mining and tertiary sectors growing in importance in the resolution Beazley appointed the Australian Com relation to the rural sectors The major developments mittee on Technical and Further Education have taken place in mining, the tourist industry and ser (ACOTAFE) in 1973 to report to the Commonwealth 1 vicing the needs of an increase in migrants to the State Government on technical and further education The A boom in the Queensland economy in 1974 was Chairman of the Committee was Myer Kangan 5 followed by a downturn the following year The most The Kangan Report of 1974 marked an important marked economic trend during the remainder of the turning point in the development of technical and 1970s was stagflation — a high inflation rate accom 6 further education, or TAFE, as it became known The panied by a high unemployment rate At the same time report provided a blueprint that guided many the participation of females in the work force increased developments in TAFE to the end of the 1980s The steadily While the inflation rate and the unemployment predominant thrust of the report was that TAFE's major rate dropped during the 1980s, punctuated by a reces function was to provide each person with education to sion in 1982, the unemployment rate remained at a level meet freely chosen vocational needs, and not solely to that would have been regarded as unacceptable in past supply skilled labour for industry and commerce It also years This unemployment considerably affected called upon the TAFE system to provide