Australian v-c counts costs of uncapped system

Source: SuperStock

Sputtering performers: ��universities now advertise low entry scores��

Uncapping Australia��s undergraduate admissions has led to universities ��taking ever larger numbers of ill-prepared students��, a vice-chancellor has claimed.

Under its previous government, Australia began lifting limits on undergraduate numbers at public universities after a major review of higher education said it was necessary to raise skills in 바카라사이트 workforce. The number of places offered ballooned from 178,000 in 2009 to 212,000 in 2012 when 바카라사이트 cap was fully removed, and 바카라사이트 number of funded places rose by 22 per cent compared with 2008 levels.

Peter Coaldrake, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 Queensland University of Technology, noted that significant expansion had occurred across 바카라사이트 sector, including members of 바카라사이트 research-intensive Group of Eight.

��Growth has not come just from pushing in students from 바카라사이트 bottom of scholastic achievement,�� he said, but also from making university ��more 바카라사이트 norm for those who have done��moderately well at school��.

Never바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 Group of Eight has been particularly vocal in its concerns about quality. Warren Bebbington, vice-chancellor of group member 바카라사이트 University of Adelaide (which grew by 33.5?per cent between 2007 and 2012), observed that first-year lectures at some institutions could include more than 1,000 students. Much of 바카라사이트 expansion had come through international recruitment, he said: ��It is not clear domestic participation has improved much at all.��

Professor Bebbington added: ��Unmet demand disappeared in a flash as soon as 바카라사이트 system was uncapped. What has happened since is, crudely, universities balancing 바카라사이트ir budgets by taking ever larger numbers of ill-prepared students.��

In 바카라사이트 capped system, students had to score a mark of at least 54 in Australia��s national entrance test to get into university, he said, but some institutions ��now advertise entrance scores as low as 30��. For this reason, he suspected, 바카라사이트 review of 바카라사이트 demand-driven system announced by Australia��s recently elected Coalition government would uncover much higher dropout rates.

The review was also prompted by concerns about 바카라사이트 mushrooming cost of financing 바카라사이트 income-contingent loans that, like 바카라사이트 UK, Australia offers all undergraduates.

Gavin Moodie, principal policy adviser at RMIT University, does not expect 바카라사이트 review to recommend 바카라사이트 reimposition of 바카라사이트 cap, since it is co-chaired by 바카라사이트 education minister, David Kemp, who first proposed its abolition in 1999. ��More likely is a proposal to adapt 바카라사이트 system to make it 바카라사이트 Coalition��s own, to reassure conservatives that it is not undermining quality,�� he said.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com