Bradley, Schofield to lead implementation of quality agencies

The government has made interim appointments of chairs and CEOs of the proposed higher education and VET sectors – much to the relief of both sectors. Respected education figures Denise Bradley and Kaye Schofield will act as interim chairs of the embryonic national higher education and VET regulators, paving the way for more open consultation and a more nuanced approach than has been employed to date. The appointments have also signalled that it is looking increasingly unlikely that the government will – or even wants to – get the legislation enabling the creation of the two bodies through Parliament this year. Both regulators were scheduled to begin operations at the start of 2011, but this date is looking increasingly unachievable. Senior figures have welcomed the possibility of a postponement in the start date, saying it is more important to get the structure and processes right in the first place than scramble to meet a deadline. And the appointments of such high-profile and respected figures as Bradley and Schofield, along with two interim CEOs, have been interpreted as a sign that concerns about the two quality agencies are being listened to. “Denise Bradley has huge credibility, knowledge and experience of both the higher education and VET sectors,” said Professor Peter Coaldrake, chair of Universities Australia and vice-chancellor of Queensland University of Technology. “All the signs point to the fact that the government has been listening to the concerns of the sector.” Two state education department senior officials have been named as interim CEOs: Queenslander Ian Hawke of TEQSA and Tasmanian Ian Smyth of the VET regulator. Higher education consultant Professor Vin Massaro, who has been an outspoken critic of TEQSA’s development to date, said the appointments acted as a “welcome circuit-breaker”. “This looks like an attempt to create an opportunity to have a more consultative approach to finding a solution,” Massaro said. “Universities weren’t arguing about the need for the agency or its proposed roles, but they were concerned about a lack of answers to some legitimate questions about how it would operate and how intrusive and complex its processes might be. “This interim period will also be useful to address the unresolved question of whether it is necessary for jurisdictions to refer powers to the Commonwealth, or whether less complicated measures can be used to achieve the intended results.” The development of both quality agencies has been coming under increasing criticism in recent months. “TEQSA is a threat not just to the effective operation of the Australian university system; it is a threat to the intellectual and constitutional independence of that system,” Professor Greg Craven, vice-chancellor of Australian Catholic University, told the AFR conference last month. Among the sector’s concerns have been the risk of micro-regulation of low-risk institutions – or what Craven called “a Sherman tank riding the boundaries of higher education”. There are also ongoing concerns about how academic standards will be measured and implemented. The government has also been under a storm of criticism from the outset over its announcement that the national VET regulator would be developed independently of TEQSA, with plans to bring the two bodies together in 2013. It has also had to deal with the refusal of the Victorian and West Australian governments to sign up to the national VET regulator. Martin Riordan, CEO of TAFE Directors Australia, said that despite the undisputed experience and credibility of Schofield and the interim CEO John Smyth, they would have their work cut out for them. “The task will take all their experience, not merely to introduce a credible national VET regulator, but bring together a platform of quality and confidence across the system – surely a key issue ahead of further changes planned for 2013.” Riordan and David Williams, executive director of the Victorian TAFE Association, agreed that the issue with the two recalcitrant states needed to be resolved – and quickly. Willams said it was also important that there was early engagement with TEQSA to “ensure systems and processes developed and implemented are compatible for the merging of the two bodies over time”. Dr Gavin Moodie, policy advisor to RMIT, said both Bradley and Schofield had extensive knowledge of the tertiary education sector as a whole. “By understanding tertiary education so well, Bradley and Schofield are likely to establish quality assurance and regulatory bodies that are more effective than the bureaucratic proposals that have apparently been developed so far.” A Group of Eight spokesperson said the appointments were a positive step, but they would have preferred to see the appointment of several interim board members “to bring a broader perspective”. “The standards issues are very complex and potentially far-reaching and, as such, will require a sophisticated discussion within the sector and with our counterpart in VET,” she said, adding the Go8 was looking forward to “an extensive, open consultation” on the implementation of TEQSA.