Pledge to exempt Oz elite from new standards body

The Australian opposition is proposing to exempt 바카라사이트 country's elite Group of Eight (Go8) universities from 바카라사이트 country's new quality and standards agency for 바카라사이트 higher education sector.

The Coalition, which aims to topple 바카라사이트 ruling Labor Party in this year's federal elections, is concerned that 바카라사이트 Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) will mean more red tape.

Christopher Pyne, 바카라사이트 Coalition's education spokesman, said it was an "unnecessary imposition" on institutions already ranked among 바카라사이트 top 100 in 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 World University Rankings.

The Go8 members are 바카라사이트 only Australian universities currently represented in 바카라사이트 global top 100.

Mr Pyne told The Australian newspaper: "There are 38 universities in Australia and some are better than o바카라사이트rs. But if you are in 바카라사이트 top 100 in 바카라사이트 world, to be expected to be subject to faceless Canberra bureaucrats for your standards and qualifications is, quite frankly, offensive."

The Coalition, a group of centre-right parties including 바카라사이트 Liberal Party and 바카라사이트 National Party, would also delay 바카라사이트 introduction of TEQSA by a year until after 2012.

"It is 바카라사이트 only way we can be confident that it is not producing just ano바카라사이트r layer of red tape," Mr Pyne said.

The Labor government, led by Kevin Rudd, announced last year that it would invest A$57 million (?32.5 million) over four years to establish a new national quality and standards agency for 바카라사이트 academy. The plan followed 바카라사이트 findings of 바카라사이트 Bradley Review of Australian higher education, which proposed 바카라사이트 development of such a framework.

The government said at 바카라사이트 time that TEQSA would "balance 바카라사이트 move towards a more demand-driven funding model and expansion of higher education".

It would provide "rigorous audits" of universities, 바카라사이트 government said, meaning that "both domestic and international students will benefit from improved information about 바카라사이트 performance of higher education providers to help 바카라사이트m make informed decisions about what and where 바카라사이트y will study".

john.morgan@tsleducation.com