Portfolio Budget Statements - Part B - Portfolio Overview

Portfolio Overview and Strategic Priorities

The Commonwealth takes a national leadership role in education, training and research policy to ensure an integrated and balanced response to the educational and training needs of all Australians, particularly our Indigenous and young people.  It works with the States and Territories through the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) and the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) Ministerial Council, and with education and training providers, industry and other agencies, across the three main sectors of Australia’s education system:

• schools – including pre-schools, primary schools, secondary and senior secondary schools;
• vocational education and training (VET) – which involves publicly owned TAFE institutions and other registered training organisations; and
• higher education, including research – public and private universities and other higher education institutions.

Roles and responsibilities vary between the sectors.

The States and Territories have primary responsibility for school education.  The Commonwealth, through MCEETYA, provides leadership in identifying national standards and priorities to achieve the agreed National Goals for Schooling. The Commonwealth also provides State, Territory and non-government school authorities with substantial additional funding to improve student outcomes.

States and Territories also have primary responsibility in the VET sector.  The Commonwealth works with the States and Territories, through the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) Ministerial Council, and with industry to ensure that the VET sector promotes high quality outcomes for students; national consistency and coherence; and a system that is responsive to industry needs.  Commonwealth funding for VET is provided through ANTA and through programmes administered directly by the Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth has the primary responsibility for funding and policy-making in the higher education sector.  Apart from the Australian National University and the Australian Maritime College, the States and Territories are responsible for legislation to establish universities and for the accreditation of higher education courses by private providers.

The Commonwealth provides national leadership on youth issues through MCEETYA.  It works with States and Territories and the non-government sector to promote positive community perceptions of young people through key youth cultural events and youth development programmes and strategies that encourage young people to participate in a range of community activities.  The Commonwealth also directly involves young people in advising the Government on youth matters through the National Youth Roundtable. 

The Education, Training and Youth Affairs Portfolio comprises the Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs (DETYA) and four statutory authorities: the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA); the Australian Research Council (ARC); the Anglo-Australian Telescope Board; and the Australian National University (ANU).

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