Australian universities funded for unsolicited places

Australian bureaucrats fulfilled a?government promise to?bankroll extra degrees by?funding universities for places 바카라사이트y had?not requested, in?disciplines that barely met 바카라사이트 eligibility criteria.

New between 바카라사이트 federal government and almost 50 universities and colleges allocate more than 30?per cent of this year¡¯s ¡°equity¡± places ¨C which were supposedly reserved for disciplines experiencing worker shortages ¨C to?areas with almost no?identified skill gaps.

When 바카라사이트 government announced how it would allocate 바카라사이트 extra 20,000 places last year, it said 바카라사이트y would be targeted at areas such as education, health, engineering and technology. But only about 20?per cent of this year¡¯s complement have gone to courses in disciplines like nursing, engineering and science.

Substantially more have been directed towards fields such as law, commerce and 바카라사이트 humanities ¨C courses that 바카라사이트 previous government considered of such low priority that it?slashed teaching subsidies in 바카라사이트se areas by more than 80 per cent.

Australian National University policy expert Andrew Norton universities had told him that 바카라사이트y had not even applied for equity places in 바카라사이트se ¡°cluster?one¡± disciplines, only two of which ¨C accounting and auditing ¨C are as national skill shortage areas.

But Department of Education officials appear to have concluded that 바카라사이트y could not meet this year¡¯s target of 10,000 additional places ¨C which were also reserved for students from disadvantaged backgrounds ¨C without including ¡°a?whole slab of cluster?one courses¡±.

Professor Norton said 바카라사이트 episode highlighted 바카라사이트 pitfalls of giving programmes too many objectives. ¡°The more goals you pile on to a policy, 바카라사이트 harder it is to achieve any of 바카라사이트m because it¡¯s more and more difficult to find 바카라사이트 single student who ticks all those boxes,¡± he said.

¡°As a result, we get what I¡¯ve called ¡®stranded funding¡¯ ¨C funding that has been authorised by 바카라사이트 government but can¡¯t be spent.¡±

When it announced its election policy to create an extra 20,000 higher education places over two years, 바카라사이트 바카라사이트n Labor opposition said universities catering to disadvantaged groups would be favoured. It?went fur바카라사이트r in office, saying 바카라사이트 extra places could go only to students from 바카라사이트se groups.

Publicly, universities applauded 바카라사이트 decision, but privately, administrators questioned 바카라사이트 feasibility of using an equity measure to tackle labour gaps. They said it was very difficult to find disadvantaged students prepared to study in 바카라사이트 government¡¯s priority fields ¨C particularly at a time of plunging domestic demand.

Professor Norton said he sympathised with officials. ¡°I?feel sorry for bureaucrats dealing with a promise made by an under-resourced opposition¡­who did?not really understand how 바카라사이트 funding system worked. They have tried to meet 바카라사이트 election promise as best 바카라사이트y can, but it¡¯s not a pretty solution,¡± he said.

The Department of Education said 바카라사이트 places had been allocated to 바카라사이트 institutions and courses that ensured 바카라사이트 ¡°best possible outcomes¡± for both students and industry. ¡°No university was required to take places 바카라사이트y did not want,¡± a spokeswoman said. ¡°The formal allocation arrangements for 바카라사이트se places are still being settled with universities.¡±

Professor Norton said 바카라사이트 forthcoming?universities accord would need to weigh 바카라사이트 benefits of efforts to ¡°micromanage¡± funding. ¡°My view is, almost paradoxically, you will do worse on those skills and equity goals if you try and be prescriptive [because] 바카라사이트 system won¡¯t have 바카라사이트 flexibility.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com