Glossary of Terms, Acronyms and Abbreviations
Most work places have their own jargon (words or acronyms or abbreviations that you wouldn't normally find in ordinary speech), and our Department is no exception. While we have tried to make sure that the use of this 'special language' does not appear on our website, some jargon may still have slipped through. So, the following list provides a definition of the most commonly used jargon used within our Department. We also provide a link to a more detailed explanation of the particular acronym or abbreviation so you can understand how this fits in with the Department's responsibilities.
Common jargon used within our Department
A
ABSTUDY - Aboriginal Study Assistance Scheme
ACAA - Australian Curriculum and Assessment Authority
AEU - Australian Education Union
AGM - assistant general manager
AGQTP - Australian Government Quality Teacher Program
AIP - Annual Implementation Plan
AISV - Association of Independent Schools of Victoria
AP - assistant principal
AQF - Australian Qualifications Framework
AQTF - Australian Quality Training Framework
ARC - Australian Research Council
ASCIV - Association of School Councils in Victoria
AUSTUDY - a means tested allowance for students 16 years and over
B
BAS - business activity statement
C
CAE - Centre for Adult Education
CALD - culturally and linguistically diverse
CASES - Computerised Administrative System Environment in Schools
CAT(s) - Common Assessment Task(s) (in VCE)
CCB - Child Care Benefit
CCSB- Children's Services Coordination Board
CDSM(s) - Course Development Support Material(s)
CIS - Community Information Service
COAG - Council of Australian Governments (Commonwealth)
CPSU - Community and Public Sector Union
CRT - casual replacement teacher
CSO - Community Service Organisation
CSRDO - Child Services Resource Development Officer
D
DACV - Disability Advisory Council of Victoria
DEC - Distance Education Centre
DHS - Department of Human Services (Victoria)
DIIRD - Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development (Victoria)
DOI - Department of Infrastructure (Victoria)
DOJ - Department of Justice (Victoria)
DPC - Department of Premier and Cabinet (Victoria)
DPCD - Department of Planning and Community Development
DTF - Department of Treasury and Finance (Victoria)
DSE - Department of Sustainability and Environment (Victoria)
DV - domestic violence
E
ECI – early Childhood Intervention
ECIS – Early Childhood Intervention Services
EdNA - Education Network Australia
EduMail - our Department’s electronic mail service
EEO - Equal Employment Opportunity
EEO – extension education officer
EFT - equivalent full time
ELC - English Language Centre
ELS - English Language School
EMA - Education Maintenance Allowance
EMS - Emergency Management Service
ENTER – Equivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank
EO - equal opportunity
ESL - English as a second language
ESOS – Education Services for Overseas Students
F
FaCS - Department of Family and Community Services (Commonwealth)
FBT - Fringe Benefits Tax
FDC – Family Day Care
FFPOS - Full Fee Paying Overseas Student
FLAG - Flexible Learning Advisory Group
FOI - Freedom of Information
FTE - full-time equivalent
G
GM - general manager
GST - goods and services tax
H
HACC – Home and Community Care
HDA - higher duties allowance
HRMS - Human Resource Management System (the system we use to pay our staff and maintain their leave, higher duties and personnel records)
HRS – health and safety representatives in schools
I
IARTV – Independent Association of Registered Teachers of Victoria
ICT - Information and communication technology
IRIS – Incident Reporting Information System
ISA – International Schools Assessment
ISE – In-service education
IT - Information Technology
ITABs - Industry Training Advisory Boards
J
JTC - Joining the Chorus – a program supporting performing arts in Victorian government schools
K
L
LCPs – Local Community Partnerships
LDC – Long Day Care
LGA – Local Government Area
LHMU - Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union
LLEN(s) - Local Learning and Employment Network(s)
LMERC - Languages and Multicultural Education Resource Centre
LOTE - Language other than English
LSL - long service leave
LT - leading teacher
LTE – long-term enrolment
M
MACCALD - Ministerial Advisory Council for Cultural and Linguistic Diversity (commonwealth)
MACLOTE – Ministerial Advisory Committee on Languages other than English
MCH – Maternal and Child Health
MCEETYA - Ministerial Council of Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (commonwealth)
MEA - multicultural education aide
MEYP – Municipal Early Years Plan
MIPs - Managed Individual Pathways
MoU - Memorandum of Understanding
MPB - Merit Protection Board
N
O
OCC – Occasional child care
OCPC – Office for Children and Portfolio Coordination – one of the four Offices within our Department
OGSE – Office for Government School Education – one of the four Offices within our Department
OH&S - Occupational Health and Safety
OPRI – Office for Policy, Research and Innovation – one of the four Offices within our Department
ORI – Office for Resources and Infrastructure – one of the four Offices within our Department
P
P–12 - a school that has students from Prep (age 5) through to Year 12 (age 18)
PCAC – Premier’s Children’s Advisory Committee (Victoria)
PCP – Primary Care Partnerships
PD - professional development
PEC - Performance Enhancement Cycle
PND – post-natal depression
PISA - Program for International Student Assessment
PoLT - Principles of Learning and Teaching
PP - Post Primary – a school that has students from Year 7 (age 12) to Year 12 (age 18)
PS - primary school
PSDMS - Program for Students with Disabilities Management System
PSFO – pre-school field officer
Q
QIAS – Quality Improvement and Accreditation System
R
RPL - Recognition of Prior Learning
S
SAMS - School Asset Management System
SAT – School Assessed Task
SC - secondary college – a school that has students from Year 7 (age 12) to Year 12 (age 18)
SCH - student contact hour(s)
SCS – Specialist Children’s Services
SDS - special development school
SEO - senior education officer
SGL - Superannuation Guarantee Contribution Levy
SIT – School Innovation in Teaching
SMSC – Science and Maths Specialist Centre
SRP - Student Resource Package
SSO - school services officer
SWC - student welfare coordinator
T
TA - teachers aide
TAFE - Technical and Further Education
TEAV – Technology Education Association of Victoria
TPL - Teacher Professional Leave
TRIP - Teacher Release to Industry Program
U
UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (international)
V
W
X
Y
Z
Jargon explanation
EMA (Education Maintenance Allowance)
The Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is provided to by the victorian government to parents who receive an eligible Centrelink benefit and a Health Care Card or pension card and also have a child under 16 years of age attending school. The EMA payment is split evenly between the parents and the school.
The parent portion is often used to help with uniforms or excursions, while the school's portion may be used on textbooks, stationery and school camps for your child.
For more information, see: Education Maintenance Allowance
ESL (English as a Second Language)
ESL stands for English as a Second Language. Students learning English as a Second Language are able to enrol in English Language Schools and Centres, or receive targeted support in their schools. This is available to students for their first 12 months in Australia. Funding is also provided to schools to offer ESL programs for students learning English as a second language.
Middle Years
On Track survey
The On Track survey is a telephone survey used as a way of identifying and tracking student’s post-school study and/or employment destinations.
The information gathered is used to ensure that Year 10 to 12 government school students are on a pathway to further education, training or employment.
Young people who are not studying or in full-time employment and request assistance when surveyed will have the chance to choose to be refereed by Local Learning and Employment Networks to relevant local agencies, which will provide the advice and services required.
School-Based Apprenticeships
In the past, many young people had to make the hard decision about whether to pursue an apprenticeship or traineeship and leave school, or to stay on and complete their secondary study. With the introduction of school-based new apprenticeships students can now have the best of both worlds, participating in paid employment part time while completing their school studies.
Available to students as part of the VCE or Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) school-based new apprenticeships assist students in making a successful transition from school to further training or education.
For more information, see: Victorian Cirriculum and Assessment Authority
Team Teaching
Team teaching – where more than one teacher instructs a group of students at the same time – is especially popular in the middle years of schooling. As well as offering students variety, team teaching has a number of educational benefits. Importantly, it enables children to get a range of different perspectives on a topic, since teacher ‘teams’ usually comprise staff from different subject areas.
Transition
Transitions occur throughout people's lives. In the school context, it means the steps students take from pre-school to primary school, then from primary school to secondary school and then from secondary school to training, further education or work. Victorian Government schools have strategies in place to ensure that these transitions go smoothly for both you and your child. Both Primary and Secondary schools hold open days, information sessions and orientation days. By attending these introductions to your child’s new school, you and your child will be familiar with your new surroundings in no time. You will also be able to ensure that your child gets off to the best start in their next step of their education journey.
VCAL (Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning)
The Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) is a senior secondary qualification that sits alongside the VCE. The VCAL is based on hands-on learning and is designed to give students ‘employability’ skills and the skills to go on to further training – either in the workplace or at TAFE. Students studying the VCAL undertake a work placement where they must learn specific skills. Students can also complete parts of nationally recognised pre-vocational courses as part of their VCAL certificate.
For more information on VCAL, see Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL)
Vocational Education and Training (VET)
Voluntary Contributions
Schools may invite you to make voluntary financial contributions, to help pay for activities that are outside the school’s standard educational program. The contributions are not compulsory and you cannot be asked to make voluntary contributions as a condition of your child receiving access to the standard educational program offered by the school. Requests for voluntary contributions must be kept to a minimum, and the amount requested must not exceed the school community’s expectations. Schools must also tell you clearly how these contributions will be spent.
For more information on voluntary contributions, see About School - Life at School Voluntary Contributions and School Material Charges or phone the Education Line on 1800 809 834.
Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC)
The Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) acts on behalf of participating universities, TAFE institutes and independent tertiary colleges. The VTAC coordinates applications that are received from course applicants and forwards them on to the chosen institutions. Once course authorities have made offers for course places, VTAC sends an offer letter to the applicant.
In addition, VTAC publishes various guides to tertiary study including the VTAC Guide. The Guide is published annually and features information on courses and an application form.
For more information, see Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC)