Please contact NMIT course information line on (03) 9269 1200 or www.nmit.edu.au

Those of you who have read this morning’s Sunday Age, will know that the Victorian Government has chosen a new provider to develop a multi-modal approach to Auslan training.

The staff of the Auslan & Deaf Studies Centre would sincerely like to congratulate the current and past Kangan students who initiated and powered the campaign to reinstate accredited Auslan training in Victoria. It has been through your efforts and the efforts of your supporters, that high-level Auslan training will continue to be run in this State. Along with our friends and colleagues in the Deaf community, you should take this time to celebrate the successful conclusion of your campaign.

To my colleagues – my extended family – I thank you for your hard work and commitment over the past quarter century. You are the most talented teachers, interpreters and support staff that I have ever had the privilege of working with and I know that there are literally hundreds of interpreters and practitioners working within the Deaf community throughout Australia who would want to pass on their sincere thanks for enabling them to fulfil their vocational goals. You have brought great joy into my life and your friendships will be both valued and maintained always.

In closing, and once again on behalf of my Centre colleagues, I’d like to congratulate the Victorian Auslan Training Consortium to who we now pass on the significant responsibility of providing effective training in Auslan language acquisition and Deaf studies. We trust you will approach this task with integrity and conviction and that your graduates will enjoy the same success that *Kangan graduates have for the past 25 years.

The very best of luck to you all.

Julian Hertan
Coordinator Auslan & Deaf Studies Centre
Kangan Institute
*Also applies to Chisholm, Barton, Moorabbin and Richmond graduates.

More details in ten minutes when I finish writing the proper post!!!

Hi all

Yesterday (Tues 16th April) the wonderful Colleen Hartland from the Australian Greens posed another question to Peter Hall regarding the delivery of Auslan training during Parliament question time. Transcript below.

I apologise to anyone waiting in the wings to go to Parliament to hear the question – there wasn’t time to notify us about when it was happening. Sorry about that.

OK – the transcript:

———————————————————————————————————————————

Vocational education and training: Auslan courses

Ms HARTLAND (Western Metropolitan)—My question today is to the Minister for Higher Education and Skills, the Honourable Peter Hall. In relation to the tender process for Auslan training and delivery in Victoria in 2013–16, for which I understand a successful party was due to be announced in March 2013, I ask: when does the minister intend to announce who has been awarded the tender and will it still be possible for Auslan students to be offered by that successful party classes from the middle of 2013?

Hon. P. R. HALL (Minister for Higher Education and Skills)—I thank Ms Hartland for her question and her ongoing interest in this matter. Due to a couple of technical issues relating to the awarding of that contract, I now expect the contract to be signed by the end of this month, April, for the delivery of that training. I am advised that on the signing of that contract we can expect delivery of Auslan training to commence in July.
Supplementary question

Ms HARTLAND (Western Metropolitan)—I thank Mr Hall for his answer. I am grateful to know that it will be announced. However, can the minister give us a precise date, because obviously there is great concern about this within the community and great concern about whether classes will be able to start on time midyear?

Hon. P. R. HALL (Minister for Higher Education and Skills)—I will see if I can find an exact date. In my original answer I was able to convey the information that we expect now to be able to sign the contract before the end of April. If I go away and ask now and find there is more specific date, I will provide that date for Ms Hartland. The second semester commences in July, and I have been given an assurance that classes for the beginning of the second semester will be up and running.

———————————————————————————————————————————

I have been advised that it is unlikely a specific date will be released, however if a date is released Colleen will let us know. It’s good to know there is a firm commitment to signing the contract in a couple of weeks.

We’re nearly there, people. Thanks for hanging in there with us.

Bren

Hiyo all

Please check today’s Age newspaper, page 23 (Sat March 16, 2013). My incredibly wonderful mum has written in to ask what is happening about the course. Follow the link below & scroll down to the heading “Future of Auslan course still up in the air”.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/letters/straying-from-gospel-20130315-2g6ac.html

If people could please read Mum’s letter and submit their own comment/answer to The Age this weekend, it should start generating enough interest and pressure to elicit a response regarding the announcement of who will be running Auslan courses from June/July this year.

Remember – please keep correspondence polite and respectful. Any questions asked to Minister Hall and/or his office need to be courteous. Please refrain from aggressive attacks such as “You promised us an answer!! Where is it, ya big lug?!?!?” as it’s too easy to ignore. So far we have run the campaign on respect – let’s keep it that way.

Many thanks, people, and start the letters rolling!

Apologies for the delay in uploading this. Article published in The Age on November 4, 2012.

Nothing new, but it shows a commitment to continuing Auslan training.

Cheers

———————————————————————————————

Lifeline for sign language course: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/lifeline-for-sign-language-course-20121103-28r1h.html

Hello, and welcome to 2013

Here is the latest in the campaign to continue high-level Auslan education and training in Victoria. Thank you to Julian Hertan for this update, posted on the Save Auslan @ Kangan Facebook site on 1st February:

—————————

Hi All! The latest from the Save Auslan campaign ……
As you know, the Victorian Govt. has offered funding for the next four years to continue accredited full and part time Auslan training in Victoria. The new project will run from mid-2013 to mid-2017 during which time the successful provider will be expected to introduce innovative, multi-modal strategies that allow for more flexible training options. These new approaches should improve access to training, especially for part-time and regional applicants.

Kangan Institute was one of the short-listed applicants who submitted their tender documents this week. The end-date for tender applications was 31 January. So now ….. we wait …. patiently, for the Government’s decision which we expect to be announced in March. We wait with a great sense of satisfaction that our campaign has been successful in bringing this vital issue into the public arena, fuelling open debate and achieving the promise of further Govt funding.

I congratulate Kangan’s Auslan-student cohort who worked tirelessly to ensure a successful outcome. You, and your vast numbers of supporters, many of who follow this FB group, should feel extremely proud of what you have achieved over the past 8 months!

————————————————————————-

The waiting game continues, but it’s heartening to know that Auslan training will continue here in Victoria. We will keep you posted with further information as it comes to hand.

Cheers

Bren

On Wed 17th October the Victorian government released the tender to provide Auslan training for three years.

Unfortunately we are unable to access the details at this stage – it is open only to those registered RTOs who are considering applying for the tender, but here’s the link anyway: Auslan Training and Delivery in Victoria 2013-2016

Applications close on November 1st – quick turnaround! This is a positive step towards the continuing supply of high-level Auslan training in Victoria, meaning continued availability of services and access for future Deaf Victorians.

We will be watching closely to see what happens next – who is awarded the tender, and the quality of service provided.

Thank you Melissa Lowrie from Deaf Victoria for updating us with this information.

Cheers

Bren