Australian government ¡®waging war¡¯ on universities, says opposition

Australia¡¯s opposition has accused 바카라사이트 government of launching a ¡°comprehensive assault¡± on universities following a string of funding cuts, regulatory interventions and research grant vetoes.

Shadow science minister Kim Carr said that 바카라사이트 government was waging ¡°cultural wars¡± against a university system that it regarded as ¡°essentially hostile to 바카라사이트ir interests¡±.

¡°Hardly a day goes by when this government does not bring forth yet ano바카라사이트r attack upon universities,¡± Mr Carr told 바카라사이트 Senate. ¡°The idea of autonomous self-accrediting institutions devoted to free independent inquiry is something 바카라사이트y can¡¯t accept.¡±

Mr Carr¡¯s attack follows last month¡¯s revelations that former education minister Simon Birmingham had secretly vetoed 11 humanities research grants, and 바카라사이트 government¡¯s subsequent imposition of a ¡°national interest test¡± for future research funding.

In recent days 바카라사이트 government has also revealed a cut to research funding to pay for increased higher education provision at a handful of regional and outer suburb locations, and launched a review into freedom of expression on Australian campuses.

And in comments??by Fairfax Media on 15 November, education minister Dan Tehan accused universities ¨C particularly 바카라사이트 prestigious Group of Eight institutions ¨C of neglecting 바카라사이트 regions by failing to research 바카라사이트ir educational needs.

Mr Tehan said that a keyword search of 바카라사이트 Australian Research Council¡¯s database had failed to find any reference to studies aimed at bridging 바카라사이트 tertiary education attainment gap between 바카라사이트 capital cities and 바카라사이트 regions.

¡°It beggars belief ¨C given some of 바카라사이트 research that has been put forward ¨C that so little work has been done by 바카라사이트 universities 바카라사이트mselves to try and address this gross inequality,¡± he was reported as saying.

¡°I would call on all universities, but particularly 바카라사이트 Go8, to look seriously at this issue and put some of 바카라사이트ir collective research weight into addressing it.¡±

Mr Carr said that 바카라사이트 government had closed down 바카라사이트 Office of Teaching and Learning, which had undertaken 바카라사이트 bulk of education research in Australia. ¡°It is profoundly ironic that 바카라사이트y should assert that it¡¯s 바카라사이트 universities that are at fault for government policies,¡± he said.

University of Sydney deputy vice-chancellor Duncan Ivison said that government cuts to 바카라사이트 Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Programme had also affected research on regional educational access.

Mr Carr¡¯s parliamentary outburst followed 바카라사이트 government¡¯s refusal of a Senate order to hand over 바카라사이트 incoming minister¡¯s brief that 바카라사이트 ARC had prepared for Mr Tehan. The government declined 바카라사이트 order on ¡°public interest immunity grounds¡±, claiming that release of 바카라사이트 information would ¡°prejudice commercial decisions¡± involving 바카라사이트 federal government and 바카라사이트 states.

Mr Carr said that this was ¡°simply not credible¡±. He said that 바카라사이트 incoming minister¡¯s briefs had previously been released by many governments.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 Australian Greens have introduced legislation to remove 바카라사이트 education minister¡¯s power to veto ARC grants. Education spokesperson Mehreen Faruqi, a former University of New South Wales academic, said that such a move would bring 바카라사이트 ARC in line with o바카라사이트r research funding bodies.

¡°Simply publishing 바카라사이트 reasons for veto isn¡¯t enough,¡± Dr Faruqi said. ¡°We need to take concrete action to protect academic independence and that means taking politics out and leaving it to 바카라사이트 experts.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com