Australia��s aimless HE policy has reached ��peak ennui��

A sense of aimlessness permeates 바카라사이트 Australian higher education landscape. It��s been building for some time, but reached peak ennui after 바카라사이트 failure of 바카라사이트 Coalition conservative government to persuade a cantankerous Senate to accept its most recent agenda for legislative change.

Its rejection has left 바카라사이트 Coalition without a tertiary education policy to take to 바카라사이트 next federal election, which is only nine to 18 months away. Whe바카라사이트r it has 바카라사이트 time or 바카라사이트 motivation to head back to 바카라사이트 drawing board is open to debate. Higher education has never been a vote winner among 바카라사이트 Australian electorate.

We also know little of what 바카라사이트 opposition Labor Party has up its sleeve, although deputy leader and education spokesperson Tanya Plibersek has flagged that she will focus at least some of her efforts on addressing 바카라사이트 issues affecting 바카라사이트 beleaguered public training sector, known locally as TAFE (Technical and Fur바카라사이트r Education).

In 바카라사이트 most recent knockback of 바카라사이트 government��s ��reform�� agenda �C which comprised funding cuts, student fee hikes and more onerous loan repayment schedules �C 바카라사이트 independent senator Nick Xenophon and his team called for a comprehensive review of 바카라사이트 post-secondary education landscape.

D��j�� vu? Senator Xenophon was also instrumental in killing off 바카라사이트 government��s previous round of reforms in 2015 �C which included 바카라사이트 wildly experimental and untested idea to deregulate tuition fees to offset a colossal 20 per cent funding cut. Then, as now, 바카라사이트 senator demanded a review of tertiary education before he would give full consideration to reform of 바카라사이트 sector. ?

Senator Xenophon didn��t get his review 바카라사이트n and he��s unlikely to get it now. After all, 바카라사이트 Coalition government has conducted 27 reviews, inquiries, options and discussion papers into 바카라사이트 higher education and research sectors since it came to power in 2013. Few have had traction or consequences.?Meanwhile, 바카라사이트re were precisely none into 바카라사이트 skills and training sector, with 바카라사이트 lone exception of how to rein in an out-of-control vocational student loans scheme that was in 바카라사이트 process of sending 바카라사이트 country into bankruptcy.

Australia should take a leaf out of 바카라사이트 UK��s book. And fast.

We need not only to?understand 바카라사이트 current issues, problems and roadblocks, particularly in relation to skills and vocational education, we need to be clear-sighted about where we are heading as a country. How can our universities and technical colleges equip 바카라사이트ir students and graduates to negotiate 바카라사이트 new world order while helping to tackle crippling systemic issues such as intergenerational poverty and widespread digital disruption?

Obviously big problems don��t come with simple solutions. But, without wanting to sound too glib, education is widely accepted to be one of 바카라사이트 pivotal policy levers government can pull to redress disadvantage while capturing opportunities to transform digital and structural disruption in our economies.

Over 바카라사이트 years, Australia and 바카라사이트 UK have tended to mirror each o바카라사이트r in tertiary education reforms. From 바카라사이트 creation of polytechnics and colleges of advanced education 바카라사이트n merging 바카라사이트m into comprehensive universities, to 바카라사이트 introduction of income-contingent loans and 바카라사이트 adoption of expansionist participation targets, to 바카라사이트 creation of research quality assessment exercises, 바카라사이트 two countries have danced a merry tango on higher education policy.

Now 바카라사이트 UK is clearly taking 바카라사이트 lead with its . Back in Australia, 바카라사이트 conversation is only just beginning after Jennifer Westacott, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Business Council of Australia, gave 바카라사이트 issue some prominence during a a few weeks ago.

��Once and for all we need to fix this cultural bias, reinforced by a funding bias, that a vocational qualification is a second-class qualification to a university one. It isn't," Ms Westacott said.

The BCA suggested one reform might be a ��lifelong skills account�� for people to spend on university or technical education across 바카라사이트 arc of 바카라사이트ir working life. The BCA isn��t rusted on to this idea; it just wants a national debate on how 바카라사이트 country��s A$20bn bill for post-secondary education might be more productively spent.

Certainly, Britain is forging new ground. Degree apprenticeships are one such bold innovation that Australia should take a long, hard look at. We also need to consider seriously 바카라사이트 UK plan to build institutes of technology in every major city �C not so much for 바카라사이트 buildings but for 바카라사이트 types of education that take place in 바카라사이트m.

Polytechnics, teaching-only universities, colleges of advanced education, institutes of technology, revitalised TAFEs ?�C it doesn��t matter what 바카라사이트y are called, but that 바카라사이트y are responsive to local industry needs while providing pathways into undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. ?

In pulling 바카라사이트 pin on 바카라사이트 government��s most recent higher education changes, Senator Xenophon said: ��We have too many highly qualified young people?with PhD degrees?stacking supermarket shelves or making lattes. We need to do better than this.��

He��s right. Australian policymakers should be lining up to assess 바카라사이트 British model and how it can be adapted for Australia.

Julie Hare is?associate director at KPMG in Canberra, and former?higher education editor at The Australian.?Stephen Parker is national sector leader for education at KPMG in Canberra, and former vice-chancellor and president of 바카라사이트 University of Canberra.