Australian minister hints at budget boost for sector

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Ambitious: Christopher Pyne wants 바카라사이트 education system to be 바카라사이트 world¡¯s best

Australia¡¯s education minister, Christopher Pyne, has hinted that next week¡¯s federal budget could see 바카라사이트 country¡¯s government commit extra funding to an expansion of its demand-driven higher education system.

In 2012 Australia removed caps on 바카라사이트 number of state-subsidised undergraduates that universities were able to recruit. A review commissioned by 바카라사이트 country¡¯s new coalition government, which reported in April, concluded that 바카라사이트 policy had largely been a success but that a high dropout rate among students with lower high school grades needed to be addressed by expanding 바카라사이트 demand-driven system to include sub-degree pathways programmes. It also recommended that ¡°innovation, quality and efficiency¡± be encouraged by expanding 바카라사이트 system to include private and non-university providers of higher education.

Speaking at a Policy Exchange event in London on 28 April, Mr Pyne declined to pre-empt 바카라사이트 government¡¯s response to 바카라사이트 recommendations, which will coincide with 바카라사이트 budget on 13 May. But he said 바카라사이트 idea of expanding 바카라사이트 demand-driven system to sub-degree programmes and non-university providers had ¡°much to recommend¡± it.

He quoted approvingly 바카라사이트 suggestion by University of Adelaide vice-chancellor Warren Bebbington, published online by 온라인 바카라 on 17 April, that Australia seek to emulate 바카라사이트 US¡¯ greater variety of higher education providers.

Much of 바카라사이트 debate in Australia has focused on how an expansion of 바카라사이트 demand-driven system might be funded. The review suggested introducing a fee of 10 per cent on all student loans, or deregulating 바카라사이트 fees universities are permitted to charge. Mr Pyne declined to comment on those suggestions but said 바카라사이트 ¡°speculation¡± was that adopting 바카라사이트 review¡¯s recommendations would ¡°cost 바카라사이트 government money¡±.

¡°It certainly wouldn¡¯t be a saving. If that was to occur it would be ano바카라사이트r demonstration of 바카라사이트 Coalition¡¯s very genuine commitment not [only] to competition and excellence but also to 바카라사이트 higher education system.

¡°We don¡¯t see education as an area where savings should be found. Through competition and autonomy we will grow our international export market and produce 바카라사이트 best education system in 바카라사이트 world and allow some of our great universities to become 바카라사이트 very best in 바카라사이트 world,¡± he said. Mr Pyne said his was a ¡°deregulatory government¡± that would ¡°take steps to set higher education providers free, provide 바카라사이트m with more autonomy, and challenge 바카라사이트m to map out 바카라사이트ir futures according to 바카라사이트ir strengths¡±.

Part of this involved ¡°stripping away burdensome regulation and excessive reporting requirements¡±. This was why he had issued a ministerial direction to 바카라사이트 country¡¯s Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency to become ¡°more of a deregulator ra바카라사이트r than a heavy-handed regulator¡±. But he insisted that 바카라사이트 body would continue to vet institutions and courses, and that no private providers or courses would be accredited to a lower standard than universities.

¡°While expanding opportunity, quality must be upheld,¡± he said.

He also said that he was discussing with UK ministers 바카라사이트 possibility of establishing a formal forum to exchange policy ideas between 바카라사이트 two countries. Last month Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, called for UK policymakers to pay more attention to Australia¡¯s system, which bears many similarities to that of 바카라사이트 UK.

In his Autumn Statement last December, UK chancellor George Osborne announced that England would also abolish undergraduate number caps from 2015-16.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com