Monitoring standards for professional education

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to review some of the discourses surrounding ownership of the curriculum in higher education in Australia, especially as they concern educating people for entry to professional work. Although primarily focused on the Australian situation, globalisation suggests application of this article's thesis to a wider frame. Currently universities are under increased scrutiny, particularly in terms of their ability to produce graduates able to operate productively in a dynamic and reconstructed work world. Central issues in educating people for professional practise concern which groups have a mandate for determining the appropriateness of the university curriculum, and for monitoring the quality of its design and delivery. Based on primary research, this article examines the accreditation guidelines for seven professional groups, and in exploring some aspects of the practises surrounding these, it is concluded that the relevance of the professional curriculum, and the quality of its delivery, are in doubt