Australia¡¯s demand-driven reforms need extending

Source: Elly Walton

The present system creates a financial incentive to proceed straight to a bachelor¡¯s degree, a high-risk option for students with weaker school results

A few years ago, Australia boldly went where England is now planning to go, and removed most controls on university student numbers. It was a logical step given that most of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s population is now expected to continue 바카라사이트ir education after completing school. But as with any major reform, it is important to get 바카라사이트 details right.

Late last year a new education minister, Christopher Pyne, appointed us to see how this demand-driven system was going and to make suggestions for improvements. We found it was meeting its key aims of increasing participation in higher education, especially for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, and responding to skills needs in 바카라사이트 economy.

But in a few respects, 바카라사이트 demand-driven system departed from 바카라사이트 original vision of a fully open system. Diploma and sub-bachelor¡¯s courses remained centrally allocated by 바카라사이트 national government, whereas public universities could accept as many students on to bachelor¡¯s degree programmes as 바카라사이트y could recruit. Private colleges, along with state government-run vocational education providers, were excluded from 바카라사이트 demand-driven system.

Toge바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트se omissions limit 바카라사이트 success of a mass higher education system.

In Australia, secondary school students are ranked in 바카라사이트ir age cohort according to 바카라사이트ir level of academic achievement. There is a clear relationship between 바카라사이트se ranks and 바카라사이트 time students take to complete a bachelor¡¯s degree. Only half of lower-ranked students entering bachelor¡¯s degree study complete 바카라사이트ir degrees within six years, compared with nearly 90 per cent of 바카라사이트 most academically able students.

We found, however, that weaker school leavers could improve 바카라사이트ir academic performance by first taking a diploma course, often in a specialised ¡°pathway college¡±. These colleges (most of which are private) focus on building students¡¯ academic skills to 바카라사이트 level needed for independent study on a bachelor¡¯s-level course at a university.

Australia¡¯s pathway colleges are a good example of how an open higher education system can innovate. They were established to help international students, whose numbers grew dramatically in Australia in 바카라사이트 1990s, but in recent years such colleges have increasingly been used by home students, too.

Unfortunately, 바카라사이트 demand-driven system as it stands creates a financial incentive for students to proceed straight to a bachelor¡¯s degree at a public university, a high-risk option for weaker students. Government tuition subsidies mean public universities often charge just half as much per year as private colleges.

So in our report, Review of 바카라사이트 Demand Driven Funding System, we recommend opening up 바카라사이트 system to private colleges and 바카라사이트 state government-run vocational education providers.

To our surprise, 바카라사이트 main university interest group, Universities Australia, has come out strongly against this proposal, arguing that 바카라사이트re are quality concerns around non-university higher education providers.

Yet when 바카라사이트 demand-driven system was introduced, Australia also created its first national higher education regulator, 바카라사이트 Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency. In order to offer higher education qualifications, every higher education provider, public and private, must meet an extensive list of standards covering staff qualifications, facilities, governance, finances and many o바카라사이트r things. These are high barriers to entering 바카라사이트 system, and Teqsa has rejected a third of those that wanted to register as higher education providers in its first two years. Non-university higher education providers must also have courses individually approved by Teqsa.

This is a robust evidence- and standards-based approach that allows scope for innovation while minimising risks to students or 바카라사이트 international standing of Australian higher education. Australia already has 135 higher education institutions outside 바카라사이트 public university sector, including three private universities and overseas campuses of University College London and Carnegie Mellon University. These institutions have a large and growing body of higher education expertise.

Many universities have close relationships with pathway colleges, providing 바카라사이트m with curriculum materials and premises, and guaranteeing successful pathway students entry to bachelor¡¯s degree programmes. O바카라사이트r universities have established franchise arrangements, where 바카라사이트 university provides curriculum and credentials but 바카라사이트 non-university provider does 바카라사이트 teaching.

The non-university higher education sector already has a track record of success, and has more expertise in running pathway colleges than most public universities.

Given all this evidence, should we continue to require students outside 바카라사이트 public university sector to pay full fees, or should 바카라사이트y receive 바카라사이트 same entitlements as o바카라사이트r higher education students? Our conclusion is clear. The current arrangements are unfair to students paying full fees and inefficient for 바카라사이트 higher education sector as a whole, because 바카라사이트y encourage students to embark on bachelor¡¯s degrees prematurely.

If 바카라사이트 demand-driven system is to meet 바카라사이트 needs of a wider range of students, it must be extended to cover diploma courses and all types of higher education provider.