TAFE SA

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:37): Can the minister outline to the house what steps she has taken since it was revealed earlier this month that approximately 80 students have had their course accreditation suspended by CASA?

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Minister for Education and Child Development, Minister for Higher Education and Skills) (14:37): Some time ago, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), which is the accrediting body for the work undertaken by TAFE in the aviation mechanics and maintenance area, advised TAFE that they were unhappy with a number of administrative procedures associated with the assessment and documentation of some of their coursework. TAFE naturally informed me about this, and I immediately had a meeting with the then acting chair of the board and the acting chief executive at the time. Naturally, we have kept in close contact.

What has occurred since then is that TAFE has informed, more or less immediately, all of the people who were involved in that situation—so the students who had gone through and had thought that they had graduated, the employers of those students, and also of course CASA kept their minister informed and also the federal minister assisting in training. There was a number of entities and organisations that were aware that this had occurred. CASA and TAFE have been working together ever since, and I understand that as of this morning, a large number of the issues have been resolved, but not all of them. I anticipate being able to give firmer and happier news shortly.