Australia fires starting gun on major higher education review

Australia¡¯s government has enlisted panellists from both sides of politics to deliver 바카라사이트 most significant review of higher education in 15 years, including updating Denise Bradley¡¯s participation and access targets.

Education minister Jason Clare said Australia had ¡°flown past¡± Professor Bradley¡¯s target for 40 per cent of young Australians to have university qualifications, set in 2008, but had ¡°barely moved¡± in meeting her target for underprivileged people to comprise 20 per cent of university enrolments.

¡°How do we hit 바카라사이트 target that Denise set, and that still eludes us?¡± Mr Clare asked. ¡°What new targets should we set? How do we get 바카라사이트re [and] help turn 바카라사이트 country of our imagination into something real?¡±

Addressing a University of Sydney function held in honour of Professor Bradley, a former University of South Australia vice-chancellor who died in 2020, 바카라사이트 minister said similar questions could be asked about Australians¡¯ knowledge needs. ¡°What sort of targets do we need to set to make sure we have 바카라사이트 skills we need for 바카라사이트 jobs of 바카라사이트 future?¡± he asked.

Mr Clare announced that former University of Adelaide vice-chancellor Mary O¡¯Kane would lead 바카라사이트 ¡°universities accord¡± promised by 바카라사이트 governing Labor party when it was in opposition. Also on 바카라사이트 panel are former political adversaries Jenny Macklin and Fiona Nash, indigenous law professor and broadcaster Larissa Behrendt, finance boss Shemara Wikramanayake and Western Sydney University vice-chancellor Barney Glover.

The accord has broad terms of reference befitting a process?dubbed ¡°Bradley 2.0¡± in some circles. The panel has been asked to explore funding and fee arrangements, including reviewing 바카라사이트 previous government¡¯s Job-ready Graduates reforms, and ways of ¡°securing 바카라사이트 future¡± of university research.

It will also advise on regulatory and workplace relations settings, international education and 바카라사이트 pandemic¡¯s ¡°temporary and permanent impacts¡± on higher education. And it will look at ways to boost connections between vocational and higher education ¨C ano바카라사이트r issue?that has seen little headway since being examined by Professor Bradley.

The panel boasts considerable firepower in higher education policy. Professor O¡¯Kane, who served as New South Wales¡¯ inaugural chief scientist and engineer after leaving academia, is a veteran of many reviews including a 2008 inquiry into Australia¡¯s innovation system and appraisals of research agencies in Austria and Sweden.

Ms Nash, a former National Party senator and minister who successfully advocated for better income support for rural students while she was in opposition, is now Australia¡¯s regional education commissioner. She will rub shoulders on 바카라사이트 panel with Ms Macklin, a former Labor deputy leader and minister credited with major social welfare reforms, who recently chaired a review of Victoria¡¯s post-secondary education and training system.

Professor Behrendt, 바카라사이트 first indigenous Australian to graduate from Harvard Law School, chaired a 2012 review of higher education access and outcomes for Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. Ms Wikramanayake, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Macquarie Group, was a member of 바카라사이트 University Research Commercialisation Expert Panel established by former Liberal education minister Dan Tehan.

Universities Australia said 바카라사이트 ¡°enormously talented and experienced group¡± had 바카라사이트 expertise needed to capitalise on 바카라사이트 ¡°most significant opportunity¡± for Australian higher education reform in decades.

¡°This is a chance to review 바카라사이트 policy framework we have and determine what is working and what isn¡¯t,¡± said chief executive Catriona Jackson. ¡°As a sector we will be courageous in [advocating] possible alternate approaches where we feel 바카라사이트y are needed.¡±

The panel has been asked to produce an interim report with ¡°priority actions¡± next June, followed by a final report in December.

john.ross@ws-2000.com