1. The early years
The program commenced in 1984, and was administered by a DTAL Board of Governance with representatives from DPI, Road Safety Council, Police, Territory Insurance Office, Automotive Training Advisory Council (NT), and the Automobile Association (NT). A full-time DTAL Manager handled the administrative tasks and reported to the Board.
Funding was by the Motor Accident Compensation Act (MACA) through the Territory Insurance Office (TIO).
There was only one theory module. Practical training was done using a "tick card" system to mark off completed skills and when ready, candidates were tested by a Licence Testing Officer (LTOs) at Motor Vehicle Registry offices, the same avenue for licence testing available to the public. Presentation of the tick-card identified the candidate as a DTAL student and enabled early age licensing (16 yrs instead of 16½ yrs) and the fee for issuing the provisional licence to be waived.
2. CBT&A and the Log Book system - a big step forward.
In 2001 an in-car training/assessing system based on the Australian Capital Territory's log book system was trialled. A second theory module based on driver attitudes and the practicalities of car ownership & driving was introduced, this module being taken after the student achieved a certain stage of the training.
Practical training was provided by Authorised Driving Instructors (ADIs) who were required to have Certificate III (driver instruction) and operate under two Codes of Practice (from the DTAL Board and the licensing authority).
The system is based on CBT&A (not pure CBT&A) - the 22 competencies range from knowledge of controls, cab drill, start-up, etc through to merging and overtaking, and includes a mandatory night drive. A notable omission is "emergency stopping" which was included in old tick-card
The final competency is The System of Car Control.
The three assessment drives (two progress reviews and a final check drive) were conducted by the ADI. Auditors from the MVR and monitors appointed by the DTAL Board could observe assessment & training operations at any time.
The number of vouchers issued to each DTAL student was increased from 8 to 12.
On successful completion of the log book, ADIs issued a certificate enabling the issue, at the Registrar's discretion, of an NT provisional licence.
ADIs commenced at an interim level, the idea being that they would be promoted to full ADI status after achieving a certain level of successful audits. (ADIs expected this to happen after 6 months, but unfortunately no interim ADI was promoted, not even those who achieved 2½ years of 100%, or nearly 100%, successful audits).
3. Another step ... forward?
In March 2004, ADIs were waiting for the newest Code of Practice issued by DIPE to be implemented - supposedly this would herald long awaited modifications to the log book system, promotion from interim status for the performers and a change of name from Authorised Driving Instructor (ADI) to Specialist Driver Trainer (SDT).
This was not to be. Not all ADIs were training or assessing to required standards. The 30% unsuccessful audit rate was showing no signs of improvement and at least 50% of students entering the program dropped out and obtained their licence through the public-access test (VORT). An unacceptably high number of these students were failing their first attempt at VORT as well.
ADIs had their authority to issue certificates for provisional licences revoked, all DTAL students had to undergo the VORT test at an MVR. Unfortunately these changes were badly advised and introduced. Many ADIs assumed the changes related only to the "new system" which was funded by a different process, and continued to produce certificates which were not honoured by the MVR.
The abruptness of the changes was in stark contrast to the agonising slowness of progress (consultation, review & changes) over the past years.
Dr Chris Burns Minister of Infrastructure Planning and Environment responded to the outcry from unhappy students, parents and instructors. Students on the "original" log book program could still be assessed by their authorised instructor, although the changes for students on the new system remain.
A meeting between officials and training providers was held on 10 May 2004 (see the News & Views article "Not All Questions Answered"). The government outlined the direction of DTAL, and concerns from driver trainers were listened to. The program will undergo a review and input is encouraged from driver trainers, although any changes would not be implemented until January 2005.
4. Four steps backward.
- Inferior assessment - The assessment process of Competency Based Training & Assessment is significantly superior to VORT.
(Admittedly, CBT&A must be done correctly and some ADIs have proven to be unwilling and/or incapable of doing that, but the authorities had enough time to produce and enforce effective codes of practice with real "teeth". This hasn't been done).
- No control - There have always been concerns about the behaviour of some of the driver trainers, behaviour which is detrimental to road safety and is bringing discredit to their colleagues in the driver training industry (see the News & Reviews article "Is DTAL Working?").
As there will be no auditing by the MVR of driver trainers under the new style program, and DEET have not yet indicated if they will actively perform a similar function, the existing (somewhat ineffectual) control over "rogue" instructors has been completely removed.
How will DEET be sure that taxpayer money is not being wasted by instructors who will bypass components of the log book and simply train their students to pass a VORT as in the old days? At least the DTAL program is under review (see note 5. below) and there are sure to be major improvements in 2005. Already, communications from the DTAL side (if not from the MVR) side has improved considerably since DEET took over the governance of the program.
- Inefficiency - Under the log book system, there are three assessments: two progress reviews (PR1, PR2) and the Final Check Drive (FCD). This has been regarded by many as overkill, especially as the FCD is usually conducted immediately after the PR2. We are told that the main reason for having the three assessments is for opportunities for the instructor to be audited.
Although this auditing will no longer be done under the new system, the 3 log book assessments are to remain and the learner still has to undergo the VORT at the end of it all. Learners must complete the log book system to be eligible for the benefits - early age provisional licensing (16 yrs instead of 16½ yrs) and waiving the cost of booking a VORT and of issuing the provisional license.
As well as there being no guarantee that learners will have actually completed the log book in its entirety, we have the weirdly inefficient situation where three assessments (PR2, FCD, VORT) are conducted in a row.
- Loss of Faith - ADIs operating the log book system endured 2½ years of nightmare scenarios while the program struggled to find its feet. Many of them strove hard to reach and maintain high standards, and were looking forward to a well-earned promotion from interim status. The new Codes of Practice and the suggested changes to the log book were finally(!) about to be implemented, ADIs were even asked to submit design ideas for the new Specialist Driver Trainer ID card.
This was suddenly and rudely collapsed by the authorities, very poorly handled indeed. Many instructors feel like they have been kicked in the teeth, that all their years of hard work have been in vain. No reason has been given why the successfully performing ADIs were never promoted and why they must share, with the non-performers, the stigma of failure .
The situation is not helped by the poor standards (inconsistency, unfair testing, mis-treatment of candidates) of testing conducted by the current Licence Testing Officers (LTOs). They do not seem to have the depth of knowledge and experience that their earlier counterparts had.
5. July 2004 - DTAL under review
In July / August 2004, stakeholders were afforded an opportunity to provide input to the DTAL review process at forums held in Alice Springs, Katherine, and Darwin. It is up to Cabinet to decide DTAL's future - we will have to wait and see.
6. January 2005 and moving on...
The DTAL program is continuing under the new DTAL Manager (Nicola Jones) with a modified code of practice (the Conditions of Registration for DTAL Instructors).
The changes that have been introduced to the program are much needed. They include:
- The log book competencies are basically similar but the first progress review (PR1) has been moved up the list to properly reflect what it was originally intended to do i.e. assess the basic skills in light traffic situations before moving on to the more challenging competencies. The redundant Final Check Drive (FCD) has been dropped, the 2nd Progress Review (PR2) now being the final assessment prior to attempting the Vehicle On Road Test (VORT) at an MVR office.
- Booking the practical test (VORT). There had been a problems with this due to several factors - the long waiting list for VORT at MVRs, and the habit of some instructors of booking too early (requiring a late cancellation or worse, simply "pushing" the student hard to do the test anyway) or, bulk booking their students at once and putting the MVRs strained booking system under further stress.
Now on successful completion of the Theory 2 module part-way through the practical training, a signed DTAL Certificate of Competency DTAL Theory is issued to the student. This certificate is needed before the student can book a VORT under the log book system, and should help prevent the early-booking practice. The long waiting list for VORT is a problem for the MVR.
- Conditions of Registration for DTAL Instructors. The latest Conditions as well as heralding the above changes, have improvements in other areas. One is communication which has correctly been identified as a major problem previously, and the Conditions now specify that certain communications must be in writing. There has already been a very considerable improvement in communications from DEET and instructors are reminded that communication is a two-way process.
The Conditions provide for the appointment of monitors to observe and report on DTAL practical & theory sessions - it is hoped that this will be implemented with resolve.
- Certificate IV in Driving Instruction is a requirement for Registered DTAL Instructors as of 1 January 2005. Most have it and those who have not yet bothered (or have been able) to achieve it have until mid-year otherwise they will not be registered.
On another positive note, DPI now have some Licensing Testing Officers (LTOs) who are demonstrating knowledge, skills & behaviour markedly superior to those of their recent predecessors - more like the way LTOs were in "the good old days". Driving instructors are still of the opinion that certain LTOs should be doing a different job however.
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