DECISION NO. CABINET MINUTE

BRISBANE, // I ~ /19?/

(Submission No. :it../~z )

Coples Received at 1191'"? tJr1 4 ·..30 - ~p.m. 7 I ~ ~ - ~ Coples Made CIRCULATION DETAILS

GOVERNOR Decision 1 21 2 MR. AHERN A'L 22 3 MR. GUNN 23 4 MR. GIBBS 24

5 MR. GLASS 25

6 MR. AUSTIN 26 MR. LESTER 7 27 MR. TENNI 8 28 "'~ .-r- ~~ 9 MR. HARPER - 29 10 MR. MUNTZ 30

11 MR. MCKECH IE 31 12 MR. KATTER 32

13 MR. NEAL 33

14 MR. 34 MR. BORBI E 15 35

16 MR. 36 17 MR. COOPER 37

18 MR. HARVEY 38

19 MR. LITTLE 39 Ma s ter Fil 20 40 \,' 0 y

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pt: 1 19

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T Cl Security Classification "C"

DE PARTM ENT OF EMP LOY ME NT , VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AN D TRAINING

Submission No . Copy No . 21

For Cabinet

RE: PROPOSED ESTABLISHMENT OF A TAFE CENTRE OF THE COLLEGE OF TAFE ON TO SERVICE THE

1 . The Torres Strait has been serviced from Cairns College of Technical and Further Education (TAFE) since the late 1970 ' s , but almost exclusively in the area of short-term Extension type programs . With only an ad hoc TAFE presence in the Tor res Strait it is difficult to build up networks and to gain the acceptance that TAFE is genuinely concerned with vocational education in the region . 2 . The Strait , which has its administrative centre on Thursday Island , includes 15 inhabitated Island Trust Areas and all but Murray Island have their . It also includes the Northern Peninsula Communities such as . The estimated resident population of the Shire is 6940 with the indigenous component being 5544 .

3 . The map , Attachment A, indicates the wide geog raphi cal spread and isolation of the comm unities . It is therefore time consuming and costly to arrange and co- ordinate courses from Cairns .

Before full-time courses can be offered on Thursday Island TAFE needs to establish a permanent presence . To enable negotiations to be held with Island Chairmen , leaders of Islander Organisations , and regional managers of other Government Departments it is proposed that a Senior Technical Teacher be placed in charge assisted initially by a Technical Teacher . 4 . Cabinet on 21 March 1988 (Decision No . 53795 ) approved the forwardi ng of the Government Submission to the House of Representatives Inqu i ry Into Support Services For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities . In the Section dealing with Further Education the following statement is made - " TAFE is also working towards increasing its presence in the Tor res Strait by opening an Annexe on Thursday Island".

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5 . The Torres Strait Islander Regional Education Committee, which represents the educational interests of the peoples of the Tor re s St r a i t sup po r ts the establishment of a permanent TAFE presence .

The Queensland and Torres Strait Islander Consultative Committee to the Director-General of Education has supported the establishment of a TAFE presence on Thursday Island since 1985 when it was included as part of a policy statement on education in the Torres Strait .

The Islander Consultative Committee , which represents the general interests of the peoples of the Torres Strait has indicated active support for the proposal .

6 . The Commonweal th Department of Employment , Education and Training has indicated it will provide funding , through its yearly allocation to TAFE , to assist with the establishment of certain special courses on Thursday Island , as well as to conduct them and to meet other identified training needs in the Torres Strait.

As the proposed TAFE Centre would cater for all residents of the area , and not just the indigenous Islander population , the State would need to support the establishment of the Centre in the terms of accommodation , staff and running costs .

The Manual Arts Centre of the Old High School has been set aside for TAFE ' s use , and the Department of Educ at ion has advised the Department of Works .

7 . Recent political activities in the area relate in part to some Islanders ' perception of the lack of Government activity in the area . The time is now opportune for the State to give this proposal positive support so that the peoples of the Tor res Strait can have greater access to the educational and training services of TAFE . It will also add action to the Submission to the House of Represen tatives Standing Committee mentioned in paragraph 4 of this submission .

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8. IT IS RECOMMENDED :

that approval be given to the Department of Employment , Vocational Education and Training th rough its Cairns College of Technical and Further Education to immediately establish a TAFE Centre , of the Cairns College , on Thursday Island to meet the technical and further education aspirations and needs of the peoples of the Torres Strait .

VINCE LESTER , M. L.A . Minister for Employment , Training and Industrial Affairs

BRISBANE

7 April , 1988

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