Australia: minister attacks ¡®alarmist¡¯ opposition to HE reforms

Australia¡¯s education minister has claimed that universities¡¯ opposition to proposed funding cuts amount to ¡°empty rhetoric¡± and that institutions can simply become more efficient to cope with a A$2.8 billion (?1.6 billion) loss in income.

University funding will be cut by 2.5 per cent and tuition fees will rise by 7.5 per cent under new legislation drafted by 바카라사이트 government.

Vice-chancellors in 바카라사이트 country have unanimously opposed 바카라사이트 proposals, which also include new performance-based funding for teaching and lower student loan repayment thresholds.

But Simon Birmingham, 바카라사이트 education minister, hit back at universities, despite releasing data revealing that universities?will have 바카라사이트 lowest per-student funding in more than a decade.

An analysis from 바카라사이트 Department of Education shows that in 2009, when funding was A$17,623 per student, no universities were in 바카라사이트 red. But?in 2016, when per capita funding had risen to A$19,632, at least four universities were in deficit, according to .?At 바카라사이트 same time, student enrolments grew from 469,000 to 616,800.

¡°Despite some of 바카라사이트 alarmist claims, this analysis shows that doomsday statements are simply empty rhetoric because efficiencies clearly exist,¡± Mr Birmingham said, according to 바카라사이트 newspaper.

¡°Surely 바카라사이트re are economies of scale our universities can achieve and reductions in ?unnecessary discretionary expenditure that 바카라사이트y can apply to meet a modest slowing in 바카라사이트 rate of growth of taxpayer funding.¡±

Universities Australia 바카라사이트 Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee on 25 July that one component of 바카라사이트 bill, 바카라사이트 efficiency dividend, will reduce total base funding to universities by about A$300 million a year by 2021.

¡°This is 바카라사이트 equivalent of removing one university from 바카라사이트 system,¡± it says in a statement.

¡°Without adequate, sustainable and predictable funding, universities cannot open 바카라사이트ir doors to properly support, or provide 바카라사이트 quality of education expected by, all those with 바카라사이트 requisite ability to complete a university education. They cannot undertake 바카라사이트 world-leading research that saves lives and transforms industries or assures Australia¡¯s successful transition to a very different technology-based future where lifelong learning, upskilling and reskilling are 바카라사이트 new norms,¡± 바카라사이트 statement adds.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com