TAFE College students with autism survey - disappointed

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Maybe I'm overlooking something important but the Victoria, Australia, government doesn't sound like just some students...]

Technical and Further Education (or TAFE) is the largest provider of post-secondary education in Australia. TAFE systems are administered by eight different State and Territory authorities of widely varying size and character.

TAFE systems have a number of characteristics which distinguish them from other sectors of education. An important feature is the geographical spread of TAFE institutes, with eighty-four institutes operating over 300 campuses around Australia. TAFE also offers an extremely wide range of courses which provide education and training for employment at the operative, trade and paraprofessional level, as well as general education and literacy programs. A major difference between TAFE and higher education institutions is the diversity of course durations, which range from a few hours for refresher courses to two or three years for associate diploma and diploma courses and, consequently, the wide range of credentials which includes statements of attainment, certificates, diplomas and advanced diplomas.

Another characteristic of TAFE is the variety of attendance patterns. Unlike higher education and schools which have large full-time student populations, the majority of TAFE students attend part time or study externally, combining work and study. Part-time attendance can include attendance either during the day or in the evening, by block release or through distance education. Attendance can be full time for all or part of a year or for several days or hours per week. Increasingly, TAFE is looking at taking courses to the student either through use of technology or providing programs at the workplace.

Unlike universities, which are autonomous institutions, most TAFE systems originated and developed as parts of government departments. This has meant that as well as being educational institutions, they have had to operate within a public administration framework. As a result, over the past twenty years, TAFE has been expected to implement both Commonwealth Government and State Government economic, social justice and education policies.