EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Guidelines issued under section 238-10 of the Higher Education Support Act 2003
Amendment No 2 to the Other Grants Guidelines (Education) 2008 (DEEWR)
Issued by the authority of the Acting Minister for Education
Subject: Higher Education Support Act 2003
Other Grants Guidelines (Education) 2008 (DEEWR)
Authority
Section 238-10 of the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (the Act) provides that the Minister may, by legislative instrument, make guidelines providing for matters required or permitted by the Act or necessary or convenient to be provided in order to carry out or give effect to the Act. In particular subsection 238-10(1) specifies the Minister may make Other Grants Guidelines to give effect to matters set out in Part 2-3 of the Act.
Section 41-15 of the Act provides that the Other Grants Guidelines may specify one or more programs under which grants for particular purposes specified in the table in subsection 41-10(1) are to be paid.
Purpose and operation
The purpose of this instrument is to amend the Higher Education Support Act 2003 – Other Grants Guidelines (Education) 2008 (DEEWR) (‘the Guidelines’) dated 11 November 2008 (see F2008L04362) which was registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments on 26 November 2008 and which commenced on 27 November 2008.
Item 1 repeals the current Chapter 6 of the Guidelines in their entirety and replaces it with a new Chapter 6. New Chapter 6 provides for matters in order to make grants to assist with the cost of providing the professional experience component of teacher education.
Background
The purpose of this amendment to Chapter 6 is to revise the provisions of the program, Improving the Practical Component of Teacher Education (“IPCTE”). The IPTCE is a program from which grants to assist with the cost of providing the professional experience component of teacher education may be paid to eligible higher education providers, in accordance with item 8A of the table in subsection 41-10(1) of the Act.
Explanation of the provisions
Sections 6.1 and 6.5 set out the IPCTE Program's purpose and objectives.
Section 6.10 sets out the amount of funds allocated to the IPCTE Program for 2009 and provides that this amount is subject to indexation in accordance with Part 5-6 of the Act.
Section 6.15 sets out the requirement to be satisfied by eligible higher education providers for the provision of grants under the IPCTE Program. Higher education providers must offer a minimum of 80 days of professional experience for all three or four year pre-service teacher education courses, a minimum of 60 days of professional experience for all two year courses, and a minimum of 45 days of professional experience for all one year courses.
For students who commenced a pre-service teacher education course prior to 2008, the higher education provider must offer these students an increased number of professional experience days on a proportional basis to bring the course into line with the minimum requirement of 80 days of professional experience for all three or four year pre-service teacher education course, a minimum of 60 days for all two year per-service teacher education course and a minimum of 45 days for all one year courses.
Paragraph 6.15.1 provides that students enrolled in double-degrees where one of the degrees is for a pre-service teacher education program, shall be considered to be undertaking a two year program for which their higher education provider must offer a minimum of 60 days of professional experience to the relevant students.
Paragraph 6.15.5 provides that all eligible higher education providers will be issued with Conditions of Grant which will set out the conditions on which the grant is made.
Paragraph 6.15.10 set out the requirement that all higher education providers must certify on an annual basis that their pre-service teacher education courses meet the requirements of the Guidelines and they have undertaken quality assurance and enhancement of the practical component of their pre-service teacher education courses by demonstrating certain elements.
Paragraph 6.15.15 provides that all eligible higher education providers must have a plan in place for the implementation of the new graduate professional standards when they are introduced.
Section 6.20 specifies the bodies corporate that are eligible for IPCTE grants. These bodies are all Table A providers, Table B providers and the higher education providers: Avondale College, Tabor College and Christian Heritage College.
Consultation
Higher education providers were widely consulted during the implementation of the IPCTE program in 2007 and 2008. Consultation on the amendments contained in Item 1 were undertaken with the Australian Council of Deans of Education and its input was incorporated in these amendments.
Commencement
The amendment to the Guidelines will take affect the day after it is registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments.