TASC is an independent education regulator for senior secondary education and responsible to the Tasmanian Minister for Education, Children and Youth.

Introducing the TASC Board

The TASC Board with the Minister for Education, Children and Youth, Roger Jaensch (second from right) and Deputy Director, Alison Savage (first on left).

Chair: Professor Natalie Brown (3rd from left)

The Chair of the Board, Professor Natalie Brown, is the Chair of the Academic Senate at the University of Tasmania. She has previously held positions as Director of the Peter Underwood Centre, Director of Academic Quality and the Tasmanian Institute of Learning and Teaching, and Program Director of the Bachelor of Teaching program – all at the University of Tasmania. She began her career as a teacher of 7-12 Science and Mathematics, in both the North-West and Hobart, and has continued to have an active interest in school education, particularly through Board appointments including terms on the Tasmanian Catholic Education Commission; Guilford Young College; St Virgil’s College; Claremont College, and the National Schools Resourcing Board. Most recently Natalie was co-Chair of the Premier’s Literacy Advisory Panel.

Natalie has had an ongoing relationship with TASC, being a member of the Framework Advisory Council, the TASC scaling committee and through stewardship of the University Connections Program. She is looking forward to working with the TASC team in this next phase of its operation.

Board members:     

  • Bobby Court
  • Donna Bucher
  • Kathy Cameron
  • Kristy Pereira
  • Sam Thompson
  • Shaun Sargent.

The Education Legislation Amendments (Education Regulation) Act 2022 amends the Office of Tasmanian Assessment, Standards and Certification Act 2003. The amended Act, the Tasmanian Assessment, Standards and Certification Act 2003, came into effect on 1 July 2023.

The Education Regulation Act makes important amendments for TASC, and Tasmania’s other education regulators, including:

  • broader application of the Education Act 2016 principles to facilitate an approach to regulation that is centred around the learner and achievement of outcomes for learners
  • providing for a performance framework, including the development of outcome-based performance targets
    establishing a skills-based board.

The Bill received Royal Assent on 12 April 2022 and the implementation phase has commenced. The TASC Board commenced operation on 1 July 2023. The TASC Board takes the place of the Framework Advisory Council with a wider governance role.

Tasmanian Assessment, Standards and Certification (TASC) is governed by the Tasmanian Assessment, Standards and Certification Act 2003. The amended Act establishing the TASC Board came into effect on 1 July 2023.

The regulations made under the Act are the Office of Tasmanian Assessment, Standards and Certification (Fees) Regulations 2013.

The Ministerial Instructions for education regulators, including TASC, are:

The last Meeting of the Framework Advisory Council was held in May 2023 ahead of the establishment of the TASC Board, which replaced the role of the Council.

The Framework Advisory Council was appointed by the Minister for Education, Children and Youth to advise the Minister and TASC in the development, review and implementation of the senior secondary accreditation framework. The accreditation framework sets the standards, assessment, processes and qualifications for senior secondary education in Tasmania.

Members of the Council bring educational expertise from the three education sectors, TasTAFE and the University of Tasmania and include:

  • the Secretary of the Department for Education, Children and Young People (or nominee)
  • one nominee from Tasmanian Catholic Education
  • one nominee from Independent Schools Tasmania
  • one nominee from TasTAFE
  • one nominee from the University of Tasmania
  • at least one but no more than four persons that the Minister considers appropriate to ensure a breadth of community representation
  • the Executive Officer, TASC as a non-voting member
  • an independent chairperson.