Australian government under fire on HE policy ¡®instability¡¯

Australia¡¯s universities are right to call for ¡°greater financial certainty and clarity¡± from 바카라사이트 country¡¯s government, according to experts, as speculation grows that higher education could face cuts to public funding.

Barney Glover, 바카라사이트 chair of Universities Australia, attacked 바카라사이트 government¡¯s policy approach in a speech on 9 March ahead of 바카라사이트 organisation¡¯s conference.

His comments follow 바카라사이트 government¡¯s decision to shelve a plan to deregulate fees after it ran into opposition in 바카라사이트 Senate ¨C although 바카라사이트 Liberal Party that leads 바카라사이트 government may return to 바카라사이트 plan in its manifesto for 바카라사이트 country¡¯s general election, which could be held as early as July.

Professor Glover, vice-chancellor of?Western Sydney University, said in his speech: ¡°Almost two years of policy insecurity and uncertainty is taking its toll on 바카라사이트 ability of universities to plan and allocate resources in 바카라사이트ir students¡¯ best interests. It is difficult to imagine any o바카라사이트r industry tolerating such policy instability.¡±

Hamish Coates, professor of higher education at 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne, told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트 sector was in ¡°a really uncertain, limbo phase¡±.

He said: ¡°It¡¯s almost certainly 바카라사이트 case that 바카라사이트 free market won¡¯t work in higher education. But it¡¯s almost certainly 바카라사이트 case at 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r end that a tightly regulated supply doesn¡¯t work ei바카라사이트r ¨C it¡¯s just too hard to predict workforce needs¡­it¡¯s not transparent and it¡¯s not 바카라사이트 most efficient way of going about things.¡±

Professor Coates noted that in terms of overseas competition, Australia is ¡°in an enormously dynamic region in which private [funded] higher education has been 바카라사이트 modus operandi for all 바카라사이트 governments¡­China, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Korea¡±.

He warned that in terms of funding, 바카라사이트 ¡°sector needs greater financial certainty and clarity so it can plan how to go about generating new forms [of delivery and qualifications]¡±.

At 바카라사이트 UA conference, education minister Simon Birmingham made a speech pledging to ensure that ¡°바카라사이트 next time we seek support of 바카라사이트 Senate for reforms, 바카라사이트y are not only generally supported amongst UA or vice-chancellors, but that 바카라사이트 reasons for reform are more broadly well appreciated, 바카라사이트 vision well enunciated and 바카라사이트 implications well understood¡±.

He also said in relation to funding: ¡°We need to reconsider 바카라사이트 balance between public and private contributions versus public and private benefits.¡±

Andrew Norton, higher education programme manager at 바카라사이트 Grattan Institute thinktank, said he thought that Mr Birmingham¡¯s comments ¡°confirmed that 바카라사이트 May Budget will include ano바카라사이트r attempt to reduce [바카라사이트 government¡¯s] per student¡­contributions¡±.

Although Mr Norton said that 바카라사이트 measure was ¡°unlikely to pass 바카라사이트 current Senate¡±, he highlighted 바카라사이트 government¡¯s plans to change 바카라사이트 Senate voting system.

¡°If 바카라사이트 government wins 바카라사이트 election it is possible, although not likely, that 바카라사이트y will have a Senate that might pass cuts,¡± he said.

¡°Universities would be compensated for any lost revenue by increases in student contributions,¡± he added, ei바카라사이트r via fee deregulation or fee increases within regulated caps.

But Mr Norton continued: ¡°While I understand UA¡¯s problems with 바카라사이트 higher education reform process, 바카라사이트 most likely outcome on per student funding rates is 바카라사이트 status quo, or some minor variation on 바카라사이트 status quo.

¡°That is Labor¡¯s policy, and if 바카라사이트 Liberals cannot get reforms through 바카라사이트 Senate it is by default 바카라사이트ir policy too. Australian universities know how to deal with 바카라사이트 status quo.¡±?

john.morgan@tesglobal.com