EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Guidelines issued under subsection 238-10 of the Higher Education Support Act 2003
Amendment No.6 to the Other Grants Guidelines 2006
Issued by the authority of the Minister for Education, Science and Training
Subject:- Higher Education Support Act 2003
Amendment No.6 to the Other Grants Guidelines 2006
Authority
Section 238-10 of the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (the Act) provides that the Minister may make guidelines for the purposes of the Act. In particular, item 8 of the table in subsection 238-10(1) of the Act states that the Minister may make the Other Grants Guidelines so as to give effect to matters set out in Part 2-3 of the Act.
Subsection 41-15(1) of the Act provides that the Other Grants Guidelines may specify one or more programmes under which grants for particular purposes specified in the table in subsection 41-10(1) are to be paid. The table in sub-section 41-10(1) lists who is eligible for various grants under Part 2-3 of the Act.
Purpose and operation
These Guidelines amend the Higher Education Support Act 2003 - Other Grants Guidelines 2006 (Other Grants Guidelines 2006) registered on 22 November 2006 (see F2006L03785) and which commenced on 23 November 2006. The Guidelines amend the Other Grants Guidelines 2006 for the sixth time.
The purpose of this amendment is to add a new Chapter 8A to the Guidelines to set out the requirements relating to Improving the Practical Component of Teacher Education Programme.
Chapter 8A provides for the payment of grants to eligible higher education providers to assist them with the costs associated with their provision of the practical components of teacher education.
As part of the Realising Our Potential package in the 2007-08 Budget, the Australian Government announced funding of $77 million over four years to improve the professional component of teacher education to ensure all teacher-education students are provided with sufficiently high quality professional experience in schools before entering the teaching profession. This includes delivering a minimum of 120 days professional experience for each student over a three or four-year degree and a minimum of 60 days professional experience for one or two-year courses. All courses must align with new entry level literacy and numeracy standards and with the new graduate professional standards to be implemented from 2009.
To assist higher education providers with the costs associated with providing additional days’ professional experience to pre-service teacher education students, funding has been provided under this initiative to higher education providers who restructure their courses to meet these minimum requirements. Funding will be provided on the basis of Equivalent Full-time Student Load (EFTSL).
The new Chapter 8A specifies which higher education providers will be eligible to receive grants under the Improving the Practical Component of Teacher Education Programme, the objectives of the programme and for what purposes the grants will be provided.
Commencement
The Guidelines commence on the day after the day on which the guidelines are registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments.
Consultation
The higher education and schools sectors were consulted extensively on this amendment. During the period
4 to 12 September 2007 discussion forums with key stakeholders were held in every capital city in each State and Territory. The content of this amendment was canvassed with stakeholders at these discussions. Input received during the consultation process was incorporated in the amendment.