Many TAFEs and vocational education providers have not done enough to address sexual harassment and assaults on their campuses, a new report has found.

The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency says the majority of universities are responding comprehensively to sexual assault and harassment but their vocational counterparts are falling behind.

However, the regulator noted the peak bodies for TAFEs and private educators have committed to action.

Two-in-five vocational providers had no policy on sexual assault and harassment, the report released on Friday said.

These policies tell students what action they can take if they experience problems on campus and how to make complaints.

“This very large number of independent and TAFE higher education providers apparently without a policy on sexual assault or sexual harassment is concerning,” the regulator said.

Only a quarter had set up or planned to establish a task force to institute responses to sexual assault and harassment, a number the regulator said was “markedly low”.

As well, a quarter of Australia’s vocational education institutions didn’t offer students any counselling services, and just 37 per cent reported incident data internally.

By contrast, all universities offer counselling services and report incident data internally, and almost all have set up a sexual assault and harassment task force and are collaborating with an external sexual assault counselling provider.

There was still more work to be done in some key areas, with almost a third of universities yet to finish a review of student accommodation.

Universities Australia commissioned the Human Rights Commission ‘Change the Course’ report in 2016 that found half of all students had been the victim of sexual harassment that year – a quarter in a university setting – and one-in-15 had been sexually assaulted.

All of its recommendations have been adopted by 40 of the nation’s 42 universities.

The Human Rights Commission report did not deal with TAFEs or private providers.

The higher education regulator noted it had a limited capability to address the many drivers in wider society that may contribute to such complex and sensitive issues.

Nevertheless, it will keep an eye on all higher education providers – universities and others – to make sure they are properly setting up and following policies and procedures.

It has also pledged to rigorously investigate any complaints it receives.

Education Minister Dan Tehan said the regulator’s report should be a wake-up call to universities that more work was needed.

“The Change the Course report was commissioned by Australia’s universities, so they should act to fully implement all recommendations of that report,” he said in a statement.

“More can still be done and the higher education sector must double its efforts to protect students and provide the support required.”