The rural skills campus of Orange TAFE (technical and further education). Orange is a town of 40 000, approximately 4 hours west of Sydney, NSW. The rural skills campus is out of town on a few hundred acres, and offers agricultural and natural resource courses, including animal studies. I am a veterinarian working in general practice in Orange, but also teach Animal Studies to school students one afternoon a week. We have no particular challenges in our geographical area, although the rural setting means that in summer we sometimes have snake sightings, and the grounds are home to a number of kangaroos which can be a driving hazard at night, but are lovely during the day.
Hello Sunita!
ReplyDeleteIt seems like a very good idea to have working veterinarians as part time teachers for animal care. I think it is a way to make sure that the student get vocational quality!
Now I have to ask;
What is included in the syllabus/curriculum for Animal Care?
Who defines what is in the syllabus/curriculum?
Margareta
Hello Sunita! How old are your students? What certificate level do you offer?
ReplyDeleteHi Margareta,
ReplyDeleteThe syllabus is defined by the government under national training standards. For the Cert II in Animal Studies, we (at TAFE) cover -
Work in the animal care industry
Participate in workplace communications
Complete animal care hygiene routines
Feed and water animals
Assist in health care of animals
Provide basic first aid for animals
Provide reception services for an animal care facilities
Provide information on companion animals, products and services
Participate in occupational health and safety processes
Provide basic care of freshwater fish
Participate in environmentally sustainable work practices
Provide basic care of mammals
Some of these are core subjects, and some (say Freshwater Fish) are electives from a list that we (as a training organisation) can choose. So I do not decide these subjects - framework is from government, and then TAFE as an organisation decides on the elective subjects.
My VET class is school students of 17-18 years old, but the same curriculum can be studied as an adult.
Sunita