Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister for Education, in writing, on 2 December 2019:

(1) Is the Government aware of concerns that the registration process of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) has lost its focus on the Higher Education Standards and is using TEQSA guidelines as if they were required standards rather than advice.

(2) What action will the Government take to ensure TEQSA focuses on whether each provider is meeting the Higher Education Standards.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:

The definitive instrument for the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) to register a higher education provider has always been the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2015, which is established under the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act).

The functions of TEQSA under Section 134 of the TEQSA Act include 'to collect, analyse interpret and disseminate information relating to: (iii) quality assurance practice, and quality improvement, in higher education; and (iv) the Higher Education Standards Framework'. This provides the basis for the exercise of the TEQSA's provision of guidance notes. Guidance notes are not legislative instruments and do not impact on the assessment of applications.