Government denies CPSU warning of job cuts in education department

Posted to Herald Sun (18/7/2011) on 18/7/2011 at 4:01 PM (Not yet published)
Commenting on "Government denies CPSU warning of job cuts in education department"
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/cpsu-warns-job-cuts-likely-in-the-education-department/story-fn7x8me2-1226096633731

Many sessional teachers have already lost their jobs since the downturn of international education sector. TAFE's are not getting the students/trainees because they cannot compete with the private colleges due to TAFE's higher fees and more stringent assessment.

Many private colleges provide government funded courses and print off certificates for Diploma and other qualifications without assessing the students/trainees properly. Since many assessors are paid by the number of assessments they assess, and quality is inversely proportionate to quantity. Many students/trainees complete their courses by RPL or RCC (recognised prior learning or recognised current competence). Colleges still receive full funding from the government even though the students/trainees have little or no face-to-face interaction with a human trainer.

The current VET system is based on competency-base-training. Many graduates do not make the grades at all. Plagiarism is a disastrous phenomenon, and the quality of some submissions are worst than a Year-10 student's.

Trainers are pressured to "pass" the "clients". After all, education IS a business!

Literacy and numeracy education system flawed - Part 2

Posted to Adelaide Now (5/4/2011) on 5/4/2011 at 10:53 PM
Commenting on “Literacy and numeracy education system flawed”
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/literacy-and-numeracy-education-system-flawed/story-e6frea6u-1226033651976

The previous comment I posted is based on my many years of experience as a trainer (a word I dislike to use) in competency-based-training (CBT) in private colleges and TAFEs. There is a push to introduce CBT in primary and secondary schools. This will worsen the LLN problem.

LLN is fundamental and basic requirement upon which other knowledge and skills can be built on. CBT is good for task-based training, but makes the learners very much one-track mind. As an example of CBT, a sportsperson may excel in a particular sport he/she is trained and coached in, but nothing else.

CBT is also a cause for many mature-age workers being unemployed. While they may have years of solid background and know-how for a particular field of work, an employer or the employment agency prefers to seek out candidates, probably with little or no prior working experience but have specific skills, to fill the position for that particular instance. Resume can be fabricated so that a candidate has an advantage over other applicants, but when problem arise, all hell breaks loose.

LLN skills are not an option. They must be compulsory to job seekers, because of our stringent industrial and employment laws.

Literacy and numeracy education system flawed - Part 1

Posted to Adelaide Now (5/4/2011) on 5/4/2011 at 12:14 AM
Commenting on “Literacy and numeracy education system flawed”

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/literacy-and-numeracy-education-system-flawed/story-e6frea6u-1226033651976

The education system fails Australia! Too much emphasis is placed on training instead of teaching, and competency instead of quality.

In the name of being a developed, affluent English speaking country, we have a misconception that we are more superior than our neighbouring Asian countries - poor, underdeveloped or developing.

Whatever we do in Australia, we do it the most expensive way, because we are bound by many legislative requirements such as equal opportunity, anti-discrimination acts. Our system produces half-baked Rolls Royce instead of quality T-Ford learners.

From early childhood days, children are brainwashed to take things easy, not to be overloaded with knowledge - the key to future success. Instead of building solid foundation based on language, literacy and numeracy LLN skills, children are forced to learn things that even adults have problem in grasping such social responsibility, global warming, bullying, etc. Children are encouraged to think and debate without the underpinning knowledge, and hence grow up to be unreasonable and arrogant - Jack of all trades, and master of none.

My motto is "being good is not good enough, my minimum standard is excellence!"