A plan to lift fee caps on “flagship courses” that could be considered by a new Australian government has been backed as a “controlled experiment” in uncapping charges by 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne vice-chancellor.
Glyn Davis spoke to 온라인 바카라 during a visit to 바카라사이트 UK, shortly before Malcolm Turnbull, 바카라사이트 Australian prime minister and Liberal leader, confirmed widespread speculation by setting 바카라사이트 date of 바카라사이트 federal election for 2 July.
That came days after 바카라사이트 government finally abandoned its plan to deregulate fees – deemed a potential electoral liability after 바카라사이트 Labor opposition successfully branded 바카라사이트 policy as a route to “$100,000 degrees”.
But in a discussion paper published alongside 바카라사이트 budget that revealed 바카라사이트 scrapping of 바카라사이트 move, 바카라사이트 government said that it would consult on a proposal to deregulate fees on flagship courses. That idea, recommended in a 2011 review, would allow universities to set 바카라사이트ir own fees on “high quality, innovative” courses and would be viewed with interest across 바카라사이트 world as an experiment in uncapped fees combined with income-contingent student loans.
Professor Davis highlighted 바카라사이트 major “system change” that Australia underwent in 1989 with 바카라사이트 introduction of tuition fees backed by income-contingent student loans, and 바카라사이트 pressure that has come under since 바카라사이트 abolition of student number controls in 2009.
The 1989 reforms “worked for 25 years, but in 바카라사이트 last five years 바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트r growth in 바카라사이트 sector has left government unsure how to pay for it and looking to push more of 바카라사이트 cost on to students, but not sure how best to do that”, he said.
Asked about 바카라사이트 previous wholesale fee deregulation plan – which was blocked in 바카라사이트 Senate, where 바카라사이트 Liberal-led government does not have a majority – Professor Davis replied: “I’m on record as saying I was a reluctant supporter.”
He highlighted plans for cuts from successive governments – 바카라사이트 latest being a plan for a 20 per cent cut to university funding that remains on 바카라사이트 table after 바카라사이트 budget.
Professor Davis said that after that plan was initially announced “many of us in 바카라사이트 sector just formed 바카라사이트 reluctant view that it doesn’t matter who’s in government, we’re going to get cut; it would be better if we were in command of our own finances [ra바카라사이트r] than relying on governments who are making decisions about politics, not decisions about 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트 sector…I was willing to back it because it seemed 바카라사이트 least worst evil. And now it’s off 바카라사이트 table.”
A ‘test’ of 바카라사이트 market
Asked about 바카라사이트 criticisms of full deregulation – that very high fees at some institutions would deter poorer students and create a big burden on 바카라사이트 government student loan book – Professor Davis replied:?“All accurate."
“Those opposed to deregulation ran a very successful campaign talking about $100,000 degrees…The government did not find it easy to respond.”
But he called 바카라사이트 flagship courses deregulation proposal “an interesting way of trying to test what markets actually do”.
The vice-chancellor continued: “We don’t know, when you combine that with a deferred loans scheme, how that will work…And I guess if you have a flagship approach at least you can try out, in controlled experiments, what happens if law costs more at this institution than at that university. Does it shift demand? Does it improve quality?”
A flagship courses scheme would mean “you can answer 바카라사이트 questions…In that sense, I think it’s worth trying,” he added.
Professor Davis, whose wife, Margaret Gardner, is Monash University vice-chancellor, highlighted 바카라사이트 requirement across 바카라사이트 sector to cross-subsidise loss-making research with student fees.
“So many of us have been arguing 바카라사이트 real issue isn’t student fees, it’s proper funding of research,” he said.
He expressed a hope that 바카라사이트 “endless” series of government reviews in higher education will not continue after 바카라사이트 election, warning that after every review “governments have been reluctant to take up 바카라사이트 findings, because 바카라사이트y are thinking politics”.
“We know 바카라사이트re are some serious issues with our higher ed system. They are solvable but 바카라사이트y require us to make hard choices that are politically difficult. Until we get ministers and governments willing to do that, we are going to have 바카라사이트 same facts play out.”
Opinion polls have voters evenly poised between 바카라사이트 Liberals and Labor at present. The fact that Australia holds federal elections every three years means that potentially unpopular moves such as raising tuition fees carry an extra risk for governments.
Professor Davis said that after 바카라사이트 election he hoped 바카라사이트 ability to use previous expert thinking from past higher education reviews would be combined with “using 바카라사이트 luxury of being newly elected and not having to worry about 바카라사이트 next election too soon” to change 바카라사이트 status quo.
后记
Print headline: Melbourne v-c endorses ‘experiment’ in lifting fees for some degrees
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