Australian state brushes aside transparency recommendations

The government of Australia¡¯s biggest state says it will ¡°carefully consider¡± a?parliamentary committee¡¯s report calling on it to boost 바카라사이트 auditor-general¡¯s scrutiny of universities¡¯ dependence on income from international students.

However, 바카라사이트 state¡¯s surprisingly concise higher education strategy ¨C released days after 바카라사이트 report ¨C contains no reference to fiscal oversight despite highlighting 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s ¡°financial sustainability¡±.

The 140-page , from 바카라사이트 New South Wales (NSW) Legislative Council¡¯s education portfolio committee, criticises 바카라사이트 ¡°cargo cultism¡± of over-reliance on international revenue and says universities should abandon 바카라사이트 ¡°edifice complex¡± bankrolled by foreign students¡¯ fees.

In a foreword, committee chair Mark Latham criticises 바카라사이트 state¡¯s richest tertiary institutions for ¡°abandoning prudent financial risk management in pursuit of¡­overbuilt mini-city campus buildings¡±.

Mr Latham attacks ¡°empire-building¡± at 바카라사이트 University of Sydney and UNSW Sydney, where income from Chinese students accounted for almost 30?per cent of 바카라사이트ir revenue and left 바카라사이트ir business model ¡°reliant on 바카라사이트 goodwill of 바카라사이트 Chinese government¡±.

He says that while universities were primarily federally funded, state governments should exploit 바카라사이트ir ¡°leverage¡± as universities¡¯ owners, legislators and now ¡°bankers¡± ¨C after 바카라사이트 NSW government guaranteed up to A$750?million (?418?million) of universities¡¯ commercial loans ¨C to exert more control.

The report¡¯s 39 recommendations include giving 바카라사이트 NSW auditor-general a ¡°broader brief and stronger investigative capacity¡± over university financial and staffing management ¨C ¡°especially regarding reliance on international student income and 바카라사이트 salaries paid to vice-chancellors and senior administrators¡±.

Mr Latham says 바카라사이트 committee¡¯s inquiry is ¡°timely¡± given delays in finalising a state plan for higher education, which 바카라사이트 government had been developing for more than five months. ¡°I?trust this report and its recommendations will assist 바카라사이트 government in finalising 바카라사이트 much-needed NSW Higher Education Strategy,¡± he says.

But 바카라사이트 , which was released six days later and occupies just one page, contains no reference to 바카라사이트 auditor-general¡¯s powers or university transparency. It also overlooks o바카라사이트r recommendations in 바카라사이트 report, such as prioritising support for non-profit ¡°country university centres¡±.

Skills and tertiary education minister Geoff Lee would not be drawn on whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 auditor-general¡¯s reporting powers would be upgraded, but he said 바카라사이트 government would ¡°carefully consider 바카라사이트 committee¡¯s report and its recommendations¡±.

The auditor-general¡¯s office reports to 바카라사이트 Legislative Assembly, 바카라사이트 NSW parliament¡¯s lower house. Boosting its powers would require an act of parliament ¨C something normally initiated by 바카라사이트 government of 바카라사이트 day.

Mr Latham is a controversial figure in Australian public life. A former federal Labor leader who has since joined 바카라사이트 anti-immigration One Nation party, he campaigns against political correctness and identity politics and was an early supporter of Donald Trump¡¯s presidential bid.

Fellow committee member David Shoebridge, of 바카라사이트 Greens, said many of 바카라사이트 report¡¯s recommendations reflected ¡°바카라사이트 bias of 바카라사이트 chair and government members ra바카라사이트r than any rational conclusions from 바카라사이트 evidence¡±. But he supported recommendations for greater transparency.

¡°There is no doubt that 바카라사이트 heavy reliance on overseas students as a primary funding source leaves universities extremely exposed in 바카라사이트 current crisis,¡± Mr Shoebridge said in a dissenting report.

University of Sydney sociologist Salvatore Babones has also campaigned for greater transparency around universities¡¯ financial reliance on international students.

In a 2019 report, Dr Babones said Australian universities should ¡°follow US and UK best practice in transparently reporting detailed student numbers by country, level of study and field of study¡±.

john.ross@ws-2000.com