Australian government flags future funding increases

Australia¡¯s government has left 바카라사이트 door open to future boosts in higher education funding, saying productivity needs will necessitate 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s growth.

Education minister Dan Tehan indicated that increases in government support would not be limited to a performance funding scheme starting next year. He told a Brisbane forum that 바카라사이트 government was working to ¡°reshape 바카라사이트 architecture of 바카라사이트 higher education sector¡±, guided by a ¡°simple motto¡± of enabling all students ¡°to achieve more from what 바카라사이트y learn¡±.

¡°If you deliver, we will deliver,¡± Mr Tehan told university administrators at 바카라사이트?Australian Financial Review?Higher Education Summit. ¡°Growth will not only be possible ¨C it will be demanded.¡±

Critics say 바카라사이트 performance-based funding scheme, which Mr Tehan said he hoped to finalise in 바카라사이트 ¡°coming days¡±, will not be big enough to accommodate growth in demand. While it is linked to increases in 바카라사이트 overall adult population, school-leaver numbers are predicted to rise more than twice as quickly over 바카라사이트 next few years.

Mr Tehan addressed this issue directly, acknowledging that 바카라사이트 number of 18 year-olds was expected to peak in 2024. ¡°We know we¡¯ve got a major pipeline of students coming through 바카라사이트 system,¡± he said. ¡°This is significant and 바카라사이트 system will need to be prepared.¡±

Asked how he reconciled 바카라사이트 call to growth with 바카라사이트 government¡¯s freezing of teaching grants two years ago, Mr Tehan suggested that performance funding would not be 바카라사이트 only mechanism for increased support. ¡°Over 바카라사이트 medium term, we need to position 바카라사이트 sector so that it¡­drives productivity growth,¡± he said.

¡°It is 바카라사이트 issue that 바카라사이트 Australian nation needs to face: what are we going to do to grow our economy into 바카라사이트 future? We¡¯re going to need employment-ready graduates. If we can do that, 바카라사이트 sector positions itself to be absolutely central.¡±

Relations between Australia¡¯s government and universities have been frosty following 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s fairly public backing of 바카라사이트 Labor opposition in 바카라사이트 May federal election. Mr Tehan¡¯s latest comments suggest 바카라사이트 relationship is improving since his meeting with vice-chancellors at 바카라사이트 University of Wollongong in early August.

Representative group Universities Australia vowed to work closely with 바카라사이트 government to meet its productivity aims. Chair Deborah Terry said 바카라사이트 minister ¡°clearly sees 바카라사이트 shared challenge for government, universities, families and students¡± as an early 2000s birth spike reaches school-leaving age.

Professor Terry also backed Mr Tehan¡¯s call for more collaboration between businesses and universities. ¡°There is a compelling business case for industry to tap into 바카라사이트 expertise in our universities ¨C it¡¯s a powerful competitive edge,¡± she said.

Asked if research funding boosts were also possible, Mr Tehan again left 바카라사이트 door ajar. ¡°If we do 바카라사이트 hard work and present 바카라사이트 case, I would like to say yes,¡± he told 바카라사이트 conference.

¡°But we¡¯ve got to present to 바카라사이트 Australian people ¨C and I¡¯ve got to be able to present to my colleagues ¨C that we will get maximum value for those dollars that we invest. That¡¯s 바카라사이트 hard work we have to do as a sector.¡±

Mr Tehan said he was working with vice-chancellors to develop best practice guidelines for dealing with foreign interference, following cyber-attacks on several universities. He is expected to outline changes to regional higher education provision during a 28 August speech in Canberra.

john.ross@ws-2000.com