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The Role of National Qualifications Systems in Promoting Lifelong Learning

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The Role of National Qualifications Systems in Promoting Lifelong Learning DIRECTION DE L'ÉDUCATION DIRECTORATE FOR EDUCATION The Role of National Qualifications Systems in Promoting Lifelong Learning Background Report for Australia April 2003 “The views expressed in the document are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the OECD or its Member countries. The copyright conditions governing access to information on the OECD Home Page are provided at www.oecd.org/rights” Australia’s qualifications system and lifelong learning A Country Background Report prepared for the OECD project ‘The role of national qualifications systems in promoting lifelong learning’ April 2003 ii Disclaimer This country background report reflects the situation in Australia in 2002. There have been significant enhancements to the Australian Qualifications Framework and Australia's quality assurance framework since then, and developments continue. See the following locations for the most up-to-date website references. • The Australian Qualifications Framework http://www.aqf.edu.au • Higher Education Quality Assurance http://www.dest.gov.au/highered/quality/default.htm • Vocational Education and Training Quality Assurance http://www.anta.gov.au/vetWhat.asp http://aei.dest.gov.au/AEI/GovernmentActivities/QAAustralianEducationAndTrai ningSystem/VocationalEducationAndTraining/default.htm • Schools Quality Assurance http://www.dest.gov.au/schools/adelaide/index.htm http://aei.dest.gov.au/AEI/GovernmentActivities/QAAustralianEducationAndTrai ningSystem/Schools/Default.htm iii Acknowledgement This report has been prepared on the basis of a paper commissioned by the Department of Education, Science and Training from Richard Teese, Stephen Lamb and Merryn Davies of the University of Melbourne and Jack Keating of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University. Additional input was provided by the Department and by key stakeholders. Special acknowledgement is due to Judy Forsyth, Executive Officer of the Australian Qualifications Framework Advisory Board, for her contribution and advice. iv Contents Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................. iv Contents................................................................................................................................... v List of Tables........................................................................................................................... vi List of Figures..........................................................................................................................vii Preface...................................................................................................................................viii I. Australia’s qualifications system ...................................................................................1 1. The Organisation of Education and Training in Australia...............................................1 2. The Australian Qualifications Framework....................................................................11 3. Outside the framework ................................................................................................20 4. The AQF and lifelong learning.....................................................................................22 II. Impact of Australia’s qualifications system on lifelong learning...............................25 5. The Australian Qualifications Framework and lifelong learning ...................................25 6. Qualifications and participation ...................................................................................26 7. Qualifications, linkages and pathways.........................................................................33 8. Qualifications and outcomes .......................................................................................38 9. Qualifications and work ...............................................................................................41 10. Impact of the AQF on lifelong learning ........................................................................44 III. The Australian qualifications system: pressures and initiatives ...............................46 11. The economic context.................................................................................................46 12. Demand for lifelong learning .......................................................................................47 13. Initiatives in the Australian qualifications system .........................................................49 14. Major constraints upon reforms and innovations .........................................................53 15. Major debates on the qualifications system or its key elements ..................................54 IV. Conclusions...................................................................................................................57 Bibliography ...........................................................................................................................64 Appendix: Description of qualifications ...................................................................................72 v List of Tables Table 1. Roles and responsibilities in the Australian education system..................................... 10 Table 2. The Australian Qualifications Framework............................................................................ 14 Table 3. Proportions of Australians with a post-school qualification: 15-64 year-olds...................... 26 Table 4. Persons aged 15–64, by educational attainment & age group, May 2000 (%)................ 31 Table 5. Participation in post-school education and training to age 19....................................... 34 Table 6. Participation of school leavers in education and training in the year after leaving school: Australia........................................................................................................................ 35 Table 7. Basis for admission for all students commencing a course at Bachelor level or below: 1991 to 2001 ............................................................................................................................ 36 Table 8. Labour force status and educational attainment: 15-64 year-olds, 2001 ..................... 38 Table 9. Type of job at age 24, by qualification: males (per cent) ................................................. 40 Table 10. Highest educational attainment, by view of qualification as needed to obtain current employment................................................................................................................................. 43 Table 11. Levels of educational attainment, tertiary type A (university) graduate rates, and adult continuing education, selected OECD countries (percentages). .............................. 58 Table A: Features of AQF Certificates I-IV ............................................................................................ 73 vi List of Figures Figure 1. Model of Australia’s education and training system including pathways between sectors ...............................................................................................................................1 Figure 2. Retention rate to Year 12, Australia, 1967-2001 ...................................................28 Figure 3. Participation in VET in the post-compulsory years, 1991 and 2000.......................29 Figure 4. Commencing Students by Age, Higher Education 1991 and 2000 ........................30 vii Preface This country background report on Australia was written for the OECD project, ‘The role of national qualifications systems in promoting lifelong learning’. The first Section describes the national qualifications system in Australia. Within this, Part 1 provides an overview of the structure of education and training in Australia. School education, vocational education and training, higher education, and adult and community education are discussed in some detail. For each sector, a description of key features is offered and a short discussion of issues relating to educational qualifications in that sector. Part 2 contains a description of the Australian Qualifications Framework. It focuses on features of the framework of particular relevance to lifelong learning and to the needs of adult learners. Part 3 describes some of the non-accredited learning — formal and informal — that takes place outside the current qualifications framework, but is important to lifelong learning. Part 4 provides some conclusions. The second Section uses available statistical data, reviews and evaluations to identify any evidence of the impact of Australia’s qualifications system upon lifelong learning. The third Section examines some of the pressures and initiatives affecting the qualifications system, paying particular attention to the factors that have influenced changes and innovations within system. The conclusion draws together the findings of the previous sections. viii I. Australia’s qualifications system 1. The Organisation of Education and Training in Australia 1. Australia’s education and training system is a multi-tiered structure combining school education, vocational education and training, adult and community education, and higher education. Figure 1 describes Australia’s formal education and training system. It shows the typical range of qualifications available in each sector, the main providers, and the main pathways between the sectors.1 Figure 1. Model
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