Introduction
Governments closely monitor their education systems and the developments that arise from time to time. Ministries of education among other bodies are tasked with the responsibility of overseeing the developments. A major challenge that arises in the education sector is the relevance and applicability of a particular education system in the job market. This is because ultimately, the content of what is learned in school is to be applied in the industries and generally the job market.
Economic development and stability is significant to nations and affects governance. Unemployment and economic growth are aspects of the economy that are crucial to governments and cannot be ignored as the two have a direct bearing to economic stability. Measures are therefore undertaken to ensure that the learning systems are by the goals that are to be attained after the set learning period. Regulatory bodies are therefore set up to monitor the progress of education in a country.
The ranges are from early childhood to intermediary education to higher education. For efficiency, and accountability, among other reasons several regulatory bodies instead of a single one do perform this function at different stages of an education system. A particular institution may monitor elementary education, another high school education and, one in higher education. Within the higher education docket, several institutions may regulate different professions, like engineering, medical practice, and architectural work.
The Victorian government like the others too monitors her education system and makes adjustments when there is need. This is to suit the economic needs of the country and make the education system to be of international standards. The Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL), just like the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), and Vocational Education and Training (VET) is one way in which the Victorian government enhances the quality of education in the country. It is nearly a decade since the system of accreditation was developed and implemented. The serious question though is on the competency of the system of the years it has been offered. This paper discusses the rationale behind the introduction of such a system of accreditation, its developments and significance about policy challenges as identified by Kirby 2000.
Historical context
Equity and quality of education are components of Victorian secondary education that have needed a balancing act for several decades; way back into the 19th century. The clashing point has been structuring academic and vocational programmes to give recognizable results concerning pending opportunities and pathways after schooling. Unified and divided systems of secondary education strategies have been tried in a bid to attain this necessity.
Early high schools in the 19th century offered liberal education targeted at a smaller portion of the population. Preparation of students for university education was done at senior years. Nearly a decade ago, the system consisted of high schools and technical schools; secondary technical schools were perceived to be for those who would earn a living doing manual work like children of working class parents. They were more of an extension of the primary schools (Blake, 1973, p. 437). Young people who aimed at being professionals were therefore not expected to attend these kinds of schools.
The architects of the system based their arguments on the concept that more academic students did perform well in high schools and joined universities to pursue their professions. The high schools therefore offered six years of secondary education in preparation for university entry. Those were academically challenged were educated in technical schools and prepared for more manual jobs other than professional office work and terminated their education at Year 11. Students in technical schools found it impossible to make it to the university on the sectoral class based system (Connell et al. 1982).
The system was abolished in 1986 by the Victorian government as a solution to the inequity that was created by this divide. A unified system of education was then adopted based on a report by Jean Blackburn (1985). According to Rushbrook (1997), the system had to be abolished to meet the economic needs for developing social skills and attaining social justice. These views are also echoed by Connell et al. 1982).
The industrial requirements at the time, according to Rushbook (1997. p. 3), suited students whom not only had specific training but also good in-depth general education. Higher School Certificate (HSC) at the end of Year 12 was then introduced. This was replaced by the Victorian Certificate of Education in 1991-1992 after deliberations that concluded it was too academic and cumbersome (Polesel, 2001). Initial work on VCE had though begun in 1988.
As stated in the Kirby report (2000), youth unemployment rose significantly from 1978 to 1995. Although economic recession played a major part in the figures, structural adjustments were also occurring in the labour market. Full time jobs for men of ages 15 to 19 halved in that period while part time jobs for women of the same almost tripled. The lack of full time jobs for the young contributed to their staying in school for a longer time. This was coincidental by a research which showed that higher achievement and prospects of employment are directly proportional to the initial time spent in schooling (Jarvie, 2005).
Table 1 below shows the Education-to-work transition indicators, in Australia and other OECD countries during the late nineties; capturing details of the unemployed in late 1990s which lead to review of the education system before adoption of VCAL. It is used to compare the rate of unemployment among the youth in Australia with that of other OECD countries. From the table it can be seen that the rate of unemployment increased significantly in 1998 compared to the previous years.
The Australian federal government opted to provide access to twelve years of education for the young following the economic downturn with set up strategies to be met (Carmichael, 1992). Students performed poorly in academics however required broader options that are realistic to them to succeed in secondary schools (Keating, 1995; Kirby 2000). Note: The Kirby report is further discussed in details in coming work.
A review of the Victorian certificate of Education in 1997 recommended enhancement of programs within the system and avenues of by with students attained full recognition of their achievements’. The Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority (VCAA) is responsible for the above. Currently, two senior secondary school certificates are offered in Victoria. The more enrolled Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) and the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) developed recently as a recommendation of a review committee into the education system. Figures from VCAA in 2007 indicated that there were about seventy nine thousands students that enrolled in VCE programs. Twelve thousand enrolled for VCAL in the same period (VCAA, 2007).
The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE)
The certificate is offered across Years 11 and 12 and consists of ninety study areas subdivided in four units. Year 11 students generally undertake units 1 and 2 while units 3 and 4 are more of meant for Year 12 students. The grading system can either be school based or through external examinations. A student may take two of the school based assessments and one externally or vice visor. Sixteen units is the minimum requirement for an award of VCE four of which must be units 3 and 4. It’s imperative to take English and complete the last three units of the study area to be awarded the Equivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank (ENTER). VCE VET programs are offered and are recognized in this system.
The Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL)
VCAL system of education was developed as a result of recommendations of the Kirby Report (2000). The report was the work of a taskforce established in 2000 by the Victorian Minister for Post Compulsory Education, Training, and Employment. In it’s reviewed the secondary system of education about the needs of the country at the time and in the future. The major problem highlighted in the report was poor results for many senior secondary school students under the then “thin curriculum”.
Governments promoted retention of students within secondary schools. According to the report, the students had a diverse range of needs and therefore appropriate programs needed to be developed to cater for these needs in students who attended schools. Deliberations on the recommendations culminated into adoption of VCAL which seeks to address the challenges of the previous systems. The system was accredited in 2002.
A total of twenty two selected TAFE institutes, secondary schools and other organisations participated in the initial administration of the system in that year. These were: five Catholic secondary schools, fifteen government secondary schools, and two TAFE institutes. There were no independent providers in the 2002 pilot program. This figure has kept a positive trend over the years. Ten thousand, six hundred and ninety two, is the number of students who enrolled for VCAL programs in 2005 across three hundred and eighty schools, Adult Community Education (ACE) organizations, and TAFE Institutes across the state as a whole.
In 2006, he figures increased to twelve thousand, four hundred and sixty one and then to thirteen thousand, seven hundred and ninety in 2007 with the number of registration centers or providers increasing to four hundred and ten (VCAA, 2007). Today, the number stands at over sixteen thousand according to the Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority.
The program providers are categorized as government; the category that includes the State schools, an example is Othello Cars run at Northlands secondary college, Catholic providers which largely consist of private schools and missions, an example is mission Australia and Brotherhood of St. Lawrence. There also exist the category of independent providers such as NGOs, these include: White Lion, Salvation Army of Brunswick, and Jesuit in Gateway. The last of these, are Adult providers, also called ACE, they include: Prace Merrilands-Reservoir, Prace & Thornbury Women’s Neighborhood and Glenroy Neighborhood among others.
The design of the program is such that training units or modules take about 100 nominal hours, at least as per curriculum developers and school administrators. While attendance and class hours are not accreditation determinants, students take about 100 hours per module with 1 credit to the program. The number inclusive of schedule and unscheduled contact hours vary for different educational set ups depending on the institutions offering the program.
Many students however clear the program within one year. Unlike its predecessor, the VCE which students used mainly as a gateway to the university, VCAL concentrates on ‘hands on learning’. Students undertaking VCAL systems are therefore more comfortable training at TAFE, picking up apprenticeship, or simply getting employed after Year 12. Their VCE counterpart would still feel that they haven’t learned enough to be in the job market and as such need more training to perform in any industry. The VCAL program is developed to provide several varied options for students and is more flexible, hence caters for the diversity of students in secondary schools. Students are in a position to make choices from accredited modules and units of VCE and VET too.
This however must be arranged and justified as the first part of the four compulsory strands in the system. The strands are: work related skills, personal development skills, literacy and numerical skills, and industry specific skills (VCAA, 2009). A possibility of three different levels is available for students undertaking VCAL programs with the four strands cutting across all the levels. The levels include: foundations level, intermediate, and senior level. Of all the students who study VCAL programs, about half of them settle for the intermediate level.
A minimum of ten units is the necessary requisite of students at foundation level for attaining VCAL certificate. In this system, a unit can either be VCAL, VCE or about one hundred hours for students undertaking VET modules/ units of competence. The one hundred hours apply to those undertaking Further Education (FE) modules too. All the units must justifiably fall under the four curriculum strands aforementioned to qualify for an award of the certificate. There are minimum requirements for each level cutting across the strands. For instance, according to VCAL Handbook (2009), at least a unit from work related skills, personal development, and six credits are some of the conditions tied to intermediary and senior levels at which the certificate is being offered.
Assessment of VCAL, units is done by teachers in the schools. Sometimes Registered Training Organisations (RTO) or a combination of both offers assessment for VCAL programs. For students taking VET units, the minimum qualifications for assessors are TAA04 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment or, its equivalent (VCAA Bulletin, 2007).
Discussion
As previously stated, research indicates that more employment rate is witnessed in students who stay longer in secondary schools and finish Year 12 as opposed to those who don’t. The problem with previous systems have been on how to engage students for this period and encourage them to carry on and complete secondary school education. The varied detailed options provided by VCAL contribute to ensuring that students have ample materials to cover for the longer time they stay in schools.
How the content is delivered is more involving for all the students relative to prior conventional methods. VCAL programs also cater for students whom are non-academically oriented in its structuring. Students whom are not necessarily looking forward to joining universities and becoming professionals, gain hands on experience in various fields and still become capable employees in through VCAL programs. Participation in apprenticeship in these programs is an important contribution to this capability which is was lacking in the previous systems. More academic students also get the chance to pursue their professions within the same system and succeed.
According to Corrie and McKenzie (2009), about majority of students in senior secondary schools on average make it to the university while. On equity basis which is a major consideration in formulating the systems of education, schools should not appear to be overtly streaming students as the consequence may be a return to the dual system that divided secondary schools. VCAL provides more desirable options which are appropriate and pathways that the education sector seeks to achieve.
The options are comparable and practicable in several ways which increases equity in the system hence the growing number of students who accept this system as a mainstream system. Provision of pathways is well achieved if all the subjects offered by the system provide choice and options. For instance students who take vocational programs and apprenticeships should have equal chances of attaining higher education or employments as those who concentrate on class work.
In the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning, all the students who take the various combinations of available options get the chance for this. Students who do not make it through to the universities and are looking for employment opportunities also have greater chances of securing a place relative to those who undertake the other systems. If this was not achieved, then the system would not be equitable. The multiple assessment of VCAL is a strategy that helps in attaining the comparability required in the system. Due to the flexibility of VCAL, it is the most appropriate for developing professional capable of adapting to any environment. Moreover, it empowers technological advancements, inventions and innovation.
The Kirby report (2000) is a demonstration that the government, both state and federal are in support of strategies that develop policies and practices which promote the education standards in alignment with the economic requirements of a nation. VCAL content meets the challenge of offering learning experiences which involves learners who are discouraged by the education system and achieve positive outcomes in them by the time they clear the system.
According Kirby report (2000), the proposed certificate needed to focus on whole person approach. The idea is avoid concentrating only in making sure that students are employed, or fill their educational gaps. The students’ personal needs are looked upon and addressed in an integrated wholesome manner. The number of students attended to by a teacher should be as low as possible so that there is increased interaction between the teachers and the students.
This makes the students develop good relationships with their teachers and therefore can easily ask for assistance more often. The engagement also stimulates sustainable interest in learning. While this has improved since the early nineties, efforts should be made to better the ratio. Improvements should also be made in the area of access to support services by students. Generally students get drawn back in seeking support services most so if they are unfamiliar with the staff involved.
Teaching of young people as a career is challenging, and teaching staff do feel isolated working with the young in secondary schools. As per the Kirby report (2000), professional development should be sought by the teachers especially for those handling risk groups amongst the student’s fraternity. Of importance is, promoting support to prove a communal atmosphere among the staff dedicated to teaching the young people. VCAL deals with literacy and numeracy issues in vocational module context and not separately which is more appropriate for students with a less regimented delivery system. The system closely links theory subjects with practical skills.
This is essential in providing the opportunity to succeed and making the students especially academically poor performers to reframe their identities and view themselves to be as self worth as others. Provision of interaction with the outside community, which is not within the academic settings, provides practical experience in the area of study. It also builds confidence within the students creating a sense of belonging. This is a positive development from what previous systems offered.
Financing the new system and installing workable administrative structures to oversee its implementation are logistics that could not be ignored by policy makers reviewing the education system. The government funding for post compulsory education and training is inadequate. The Kirby report (2000) outlined ways of having long term sustainable programs such as those of VCAL unlike those of VET which are not maintainable in the long run. VCAL funding is less fragmented, excused from arrangements of state-commonwealth which makes it less restrictive. The guidelines therefore allow planning by program providers with greater certainty and more flexibility.
Adoption of the new certification program was accompanied by unification of the accreditation bodies in the country to a single one. The impact is high quality assurance for the diverse education and training market. The Kirby report (2000) advocated for the restructuring of the Victorian Board of Studies (VBOS), the Adult Community and Further Education Board (ACFEB), and the State Training Board (STB) to a single entity, the Victorian Qualification Authority (VQA). Other issues included commissioning of independent audits and reviews of the authority that oversees the accreditation of post compulsory education and training.
Statistics on the analysis
The above analysis is supported by research findings on Victorian school leavers’ destinations after their certificate examinations. The table below is a summary of Year 12 students or equivalents since the introduction of VCAL in 2003 up to 2008.
Table 2: Percentage student’s destination after Year 12.
According to the above data, the main trends within the period 2003 to 2009 indicate that, university is the most consistent destination for completers of Year 12 or equivalent. This figure has steadily risen from 41.6% in 2003 to 47.4% in 2007 but declined to 43.9% in 2008. Although TAFE/VET is the second destination after university, the trend is on the decline from 26.3% in 2003 to 18.0% in 2008. About 10% of the completers in 2008 went into apprenticeship or training an increase from about 5.7% in 2003.
This figure, coupled with the number of students proceeding to university and TAFE/VET makes almost 72% of the cohort which engages in education or some form of training in the years after school. The number has fluctuated over the period and was slightly less in 2008 relative to other years. The number of completers deferring tertiary offers has risen to 11% in 2008 from 6% in 2004 when separate recording of the data were first made.
Considering that majority of the deferrers eventually take their places in the institutions (Polesel, 2008), about 80% of the completers therefore enter post-school education or training within a span of 2 to 3 years of leaving school. The 20.9% employment figures in 2003 decline to 14.4% by 2008. It should however be noted that since over 90% of the deferrers are working, this number rises to about 24%. There are no known exact numbers or records of deferrers in 2003.Growth have been in the number of completers who gained employment within the above period which can be attributed to the strength of the job market. The number seeking employment has reduced to 2.9% in 2008 from 5.5% in 2003.
Conclusion
Dual recognition strategy is a representation of strategic pragmatism which the introduction of the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning entailed. The entire range of programs in all modules can be a stepping stone to the universities. In previous systems, the ability of universities to capture contents of senior secondary schools works was challenged and did not extend to vocational programs. Simply stated, no student is disadvantaged in the new system. After comprehensive engagement which ensures their completion of school, the students are granted ENTER scores.
The programs offer training options that are more responsive and accessible allowing individuals and businesses to meet their needs and demands. Development of this skills position students to secure jobs which deliver a strong future for Victorians. About the policy challenges as identify by Kirby (2000), the reforms are complimented by the Victorian government initiatives for driving growth in terms of innovation, productivity and international competitiveness in the economy.
Furthermore, the system produces school leavers whom are flexible employees capable of facing an unstable economy due to rapid technological development. Celebrations though should be held for more impact of the system to be felt before its successes can be stated with certainty.
Based on quality of the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning, the fundamental questions that clouded experience gained by students in VET schools still applies to some extend. Issues of nominal hours by students and currency of industrial experience are satisfactorily covered in the system and the relevance is undisputable. However, accessing industrial materials for learning purposes still faces set backs due to limited funding and hence limitation on resources for engagement in that front. Industrial processes and equipments are in the same category. The program is internationally recognized with increases its ratings quality wise. Innovative delivery of the content together with cooperative arrangements amongst the clusters of schools offering the system supports these assertions.
In a nut shell, competency based assessment alone ignores aspects of the individual but is complimented by scored assessments criterion based format. This in turn assists in determining, competency and quality in performance of students. Kirby report outlines strategic policies and processes together with operational mechanisms that seek to optimise competing interests and strike a balance between equity and quality of education offered by the secondary schools.
Although, the complex policies and processes together with their operational mechanisms are pragmatic and strategic, challenges associated with them are still being faced. In all educational systems, policies seek a balance point between academically oriented programs and those that are more technical such and the vocational programs offered in the same system. In the introduction of VCAL, a search for this balancing of equity and quality manifests the long running trend of trying to achieve the above.
The policies and procedures that are adopted are all oriented to attaining this balancing act. It is about thirty five years since in the words of Connell (1985, p. 29), in describing the work of Jean Blackburn, termed the compromising and balancing as, ‘’a mixture or combination of consevativism, utility, and innovation’’.
VCAL system of accreditation therefore offers a solution to the challenges faced by the education sector according to Kirby (2000) by being of high quality and flexible in addition to providing better access and cross-sectional planning. It provides better teaching personnel, and accountability in the destination of students after completion of the compulsory education. VCAL has a stronger linkage to industry needs with the administrative and financial structures being that are efficient, affordable, and responds to changes in the needs of young people.
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