National TAFE Council
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 129 No 3, 3 May 2024, page 20.
The National TAFE Council (NTC) is the peak TAFE decision-making body for the Australian Education Union (AEU), and policy directions are set for the following 12 months at the annual general meeting.
Elected delegates Tanya Noreen and Madonna Johanson joined Queensland NTC Executive member David Terauds, with QTU-funded observers Jenny Trevino, Leah Olsson and Ola Pak giving the Union a predominately female delegation. This year’s TAFE AGM focused on the continuation of #rebuildwithtafe campaign and “It’s time to invest in a positive future,” and how TAFEeys and our supporters can and do make that happen. The meeting provided the opportunity to listen to many excellent supportive speakers who value the outcomes that TAFE can achieve.
Here the delegates report back on the highlights of the meeting.
Tanya Noreen: AEU Federal President Correna Haythorpe discussed how we have the responsibility to educate and broaden the horizons of our colleagues, as well as students. Public education must be fully funded to protect those rights and our young people. The keynote speaker was Don Zoeller from Charles Darwin University, who focused on the disadvantages that some of our students face and how we can help them overcome these obstacles. Rachel Bos, ACTU First Nations Educator, spoke to us about the importance of TAFE within First Nations communities. She said that TAFE is a beacon of hope because TAFE programs create opportunities and assist young people to find their footing in the world. Education is a right, not a privilege and should not be privatised, according to Senator Mehreen Faruqi, the Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens. TAFE and university should be free for all. We also need to ensure that Fee-Free TAFE is adequately staffed and that students who are enrolled have qualified teachers and proper support to complete their courses. |
Ola Pak: The AGM hosted a panel of experts who delved into the impact of generative AI on education. Here is a summary of the key discussions. Personalised learning: A representative from Victoria Universityemphasised AI’s potential to tailor student support through tools like chatbots. Additionally, AI can assist in crafting customised assessment scenarios and automating administrative tasks. ​ Admin and content creation: A spokesperson from the Future Skills Organisation (FSO) elaborated on how AI can streamline content creation in teaching and administration. Cautionary notes: A speaker from the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance Union (MEAA) voiced concerns about the impact of AI on traditional creative roles, replacing voice artists, musicians, actors, and journalists. Threats to teaching: The symposium addressed potential threats such as teacher surveillance, automated grading, and AI-driven performance metrics influencing hiring and firing decisions. |
Madonna Johanson: The Women’s Caucus, led by the AEU Federal Women’s Officer Emma Lowe, was an energising session which gave delegates the opportunity to brainstorm the issues impacting TAFE women and our students. First raised was whether or not women are reaching the top classifications for TAFE educators. This was followed by the impact of class sizes and resulting workplace health and safety implications, particularly in general education and nursing. General education teachers have less opportunity for earning overtime as compared to trade teachers with more rigorously enforced practical class numbers, which contributes to the gender pay gap. Any strategies aiming to address TAFE teacher shortages in male dominated industries, will also need to consider the impact on the gender pay gap. Importantly, any responses to the issues raised will need to be research based. | Jenny Trevino: I was particularly grateful to share views on the delivery of the Adult Migrant Education Programme (AMEP). Contestability means every new AMEP Business Model suffers further loss of funding and resourcing. And while community and refugee settlement groups are also chronically underfunded, it is apparent that many of them are interested in tendering for AMEP funding as well. TAFE is best placed with qualified, specialist and experienced English teachers and proven pathways to provide newly arrived refugees and migrants with the support they need. |