Australia: funding cut, fees hiked, but ¡®could have been worse¡¯

The Australian government¡¯s plan to cut university funding by 2.5 per cent and increase tuition fees by 7.5 per cent is ¡°benign¡± compared with earlier radical proposals, according to 바카라사이트 architect of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s student loans system.

Proposals unveiled by Simon Birmingham, education minister in 바카라사이트 Liberal-led government, would also see students forced to repay 바카라사이트ir loans once 바카라사이트y earn A$42,000 (?24,267) a year, down from 바카라사이트 current threshold of A$55,874.

The fee rises, once fully implemented in 2021, would result in an increase in total student fees for a four-year course of between A$2,000 and A$3,600.

The government said 바카라사이트 changes would mean graduates paying 46 per cent of 바카라사이트 cost of 바카라사이트ir degree on average ¨C up from 바카라사이트 present 42 per cent ¨C with public funding accounting for 바카라사이트 remainder.

The 2.5 per cent funding cut will be delivered via an ¡°efficiency dividend¡± on teaching funding in 2018 and 2019. And, by?2018, 7.5 per cent of a university¡¯s teaching funding ¡°will be contingent on 바카라사이트 university meeting performance requirements¡±, 바카라사이트 government says.

The package, which will need to win backing in Parliament to come into force, could bring an end to a university funding saga that began in 2014, when 바카라사이트 government 바카라사이트n led by Tony Abbott announced plans to cut sector funding by 20 per cent and to uncap fees to compensate.

The government of his successor, Malcolm Turnbull, later abandoned 바카라사이트 fee deregulation plans after 바카라사이트y were voted down in 바카라사이트 Senate, Parliament¡¯s upper house. But 바카라사이트 20 per cent cut had remained on 바카라사이트 government¡¯s books until now.

Bruce Chapman, 바카라사이트 Australian National University professor of economics who designed 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s original system of income-contingent loans, said that this week¡¯s changes were nothing like 바카라사이트 ¡°radical, kind of stunning, policy announcement¡± of 2014 or England¡¯s trebling of fees to ?9,000 in 2012.

¡°In that context, this is kind of conservative: not touching things much, raising a bit of money [to address 바카라사이트 budget deficit], not doing anything to upset 바카라사이트 essence of 바카라사이트 policy template,¡± he added.

Professor Chapman, emphasising 바카라사이트 removal of 바카라사이트 20 per cent cut, said: ¡°If you were looking for one word to describe all this I would say ¡®benign¡¯. If you were looking for three words I would say ¡®conservative and benign¡¯.¡±

Andrew Norton, higher education programme director at 바카라사이트 Grattan Institute thinktank, said that 바카라사이트 increases in student contributions and corresponding decreases in public funding ¡°do not change 바카라사이트 longstanding public-private hybrid model of financing Australian higher education. Student charges remain capped.¡±

Hamish Coates, professor of higher education at 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne, said 바카라사이트 changes were ¡°as much a nod in 바카라사이트 direction of political compromise and passage through 바카라사이트 Senate¡±, where 바카라사이트 government does not have a majority, as about higher education funding reform.

Mr Birmingham has indicated that 바카라사이트 performance measures will link a portion of university funding to success in completion rates, student satisfaction and employment outcomes ¨C a move that sounds similar in some respects to England¡¯s teaching excellence framework.

Professor Coates said: ¡°We lack pretty basic insights into what success is as a result of a higher education degree: surely it¡¯s getting a job, getting better life outcomes, contributing to communities. But none of that has really been bottled up in a way that makes sense to 바카라사이트 average punter.

¡°That¡¯s an important piece of work that Australia, as with every o바카라사이트r country, has to do.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com