Although interdisciplinary scholars have long debated the ethics of empathy, it continues to be widely seen as universal, prosocial, and reparative in education. Subject English, long associated with the work of producing civilised, moral and cultured students, is a critical locus for the activation of empathy. But what becomes of empathy in the…

This study sought to answer the following question: how is listening being taught in senior secondary music courses in schools across New South Wales (NSW), Australia? In New South Wales, the senior secondary music syllabuses set the expected outcomes for senior secondary students, and list the topics for study from which teachers must select.…

The Australian vocational education and training (VET) system provides training across a wide range of subject areas and is delivered through a variety of training institutions and enterprises (including to apprentices and trainees). The system provides training for students of all ages and backgrounds. Students may study individual subjects or…

This report shares the findings and lessons learned from an investigation into the economics of disaggregated models for assessing and accrediting informal learners undertaking post secondary education. It presents some key economic and governance challenges for universities to consider in implementing OER assessment and accreditation policies. It…

Within the context of work-based learning, this article reviews the available evidence that supports the assumptions behind, and the claims made for the practice of accrediting prior experiential learning. Many of the claims made for accreditation of prior experiential learning (APEL) were found not to have been substantiated and some of the…

Health and physical education (PE) are low status, marginalised subjects in many schools internationally. However in New Zealand, Australia and elsewhere, they are concurrently credentialed and recognised senior high school options in which students can gain national qualifications. In New Zealand these subjects also tend to attract students who…

This annual publication provides a summary of training activity in apprenticeships and traineeships in Australia, from the period 1998 to 2008, including information on training rates, attrition rates, completion rates, training within the trades and duration of training. The figures in this publication are derived from the National Apprentice and…

Certain issues are relevant to the international recognition of vocational qualifications: (1) the assumption that each country does or should value vocational education and training; (2) the quality of the national system and the implications for international recognition of qualifications, including recognition of the accrediting and awarding…

Research tested the hypothesis that preemployment vocational education is a major contributor to enterprise productivity, because it raises workers' skills that are then applied in more effective work practices. An intercountry comparisons approach involving Britain and Germany and Britain and the Netherlands or France identified medium-sized…

This guide is designed to explain the concepts and details of the Certificates of General Education for Adults, which have been accredited by the Vocational Education and Training Accreditation Board in Victoria, Australia. Following an introduction, section 2, The Accreditation Document--Introductory, details the history of the project and the…

A variety of methods are used to assess secondary school seniors in Australia to determine college admission: locally-developed achievement tests in curricular subjects; external achievement tests; and general aptitude tests, such as the Australian Scholastic Aptitude Tests. Testing problems include aggregating and rescaling of scores. (GDC)

The number of school students undertaking vocational education and training (VET) in Australia's publicly funded VET sector has grown rapidly in the last 5 years. It is estimated that in 1998, at least 80,000 secondary school students were also studying within Australia's publicly funded VET sector. The vast majority (88%) of these students are…

An evaluation focused on an analysis of the policy, procedures, and methods for the assessment of students in Technical and Further Education (TAFE) and Senior Colleges in Queensland, Australia. A multiple case study methodology was used. Data were collected from a literature review, college visits, visits to other TAFE authorities, group…

Australia's tertiary institutions and licensing authorities that control the right to work in various trades and professions have largely ignored the need for procedures and processes to recognize formally the knowledge that people gain in their life experiences. For this reason, the issue of assessing adult learners' life experiences for the…