The Preparation of Further Educators in South Australia

Abstract

Introduction • In Australia, post-compulsory education is organised as a three tier system. After world war 2, quite considerable developments took place in this system. Universities grew in range of programmes offered and numbers of students attracted. Also new universities were established in the period of post-war optimism which coincided with rapid economic growth. Colleges of Technology and Teachers Colleges grew in a manner that saw them become a significant force in the post-compulsory school sector from the mid-1960's. This was particularly the case when they were recognised as Colleges of Advanced Education. These tertiary level vocationally oriented colleges were viewed by government strategists as having a key role in a rapidly developing economy. The third part of the post-compulsory education sector experienced later, but similar expansion, with change largely being an outcome of the Report of the Australian Committee on Technical and Further Education (ACOTAFE) in 1974. The Report, more commonly referred to as the Kangan Report, was the result of a major enquiry initiated by the Federal Labor Government. Labor had won government, at the national level in 1972. This was the first time Labor had been in power at that level for almost a quarter of a century. Social conditions in Australia during the late 1960's and early 1970's were such as to render conservative (Liberal/Country Party) control of government almost untenable in the short term. Internal divisions in the ruling party, polarisation of society over Australian involvement in the Vietnam war, the radicalisation of youth, women and aboriginals and the collapse of the mining boom all contributed to this situation. Labor won government and immediately set about a number of initiatives. Importantly for this discussion, it appointed a committee to enquire into the state of technical and further education (TAFE) in Australia. Hence the Kangan Report of 1974. The acceptance of some of the Committee's recommendations led to the Government's eventual creation of a national Technical and Further Education Commission and the injection of significant finance into the development of what has often been seen as a neglected area of post-compulsory school education provision.