TAFE SA Audit

Mr GARDNER (Morialta) (15:44): My question is to the Minister for Higher Education and Skills. Is the minister now able to advise the house how many TAFE students were notified that their own course is affected by the ASQA audit and, in particular, how many were studying the individual units of competency that are being called into question?

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Minister for Education and Child Development, Minister for Higher Education and Skills) (15:44): Yes, a figure has been arrived at and agreed through the double audit process that is occurring within TAFE SA at present in its approach to responding to ASQA next week. The figure that they have now determined within the catchment of the number of students who might be affected is just under 1,700 students.

Having reached that conclusion, TAFE is now going through a process of contacting all students, those who no longer need to pay further attention and those 1,700 who do need to be aware that they remain involved, and also any employers who may be involved with those students in the case of apprentices and trainees. I anticipate, as we move towards the response next week and then the ASQA response beyond, that we will have a much finer grained position on how many students are indeed part of the remedial action.