Election gives scant cause for hope Down Under

Source: Alamy

On a pedestal: graduates may feel on top of 바카라사이트 world, but those in higher education in Australia are feeling neglected by politicians and worry that 바카라사이트y could be in line for more cuts

The proportion of young Australians with a degree may be heading towards 40?per cent, but few observers expect 바카라사이트 future of higher education to be a major issue in 바카라사이트 country¡¯s forthcoming general election.

The country¡¯s Labor prime minister, Kevin Rudd, has called 바카라사이트 election for 7 September, having dramatically reduced 바카라사이트 opinion poll lead of 바카라사이트 opposition Coalition since he unseated Julia Gillard in June.

Rudd¡¯s palace revolution also brought back to 바카라사이트 Cabinet Kim Carr, who resumed his old science portfolio and was also put in charge of higher education. The government had been under heavy fire from universities incensed by an A$2.3 billion (?1.6?billion) budget cut announced in April to pay for school reforms.

Within hours of his return, Carr said that he was open to budget-neutral alternatives to 바카라사이트 cuts, cuts that include a two-year ¡°efficiency dividend¡± on universities and 바카라사이트 abolition of discounts for 바카라사이트 upfront payment of tuition fees.

He also hinted that he might be prepared to reimpose 바카라사이트 numbers cap on undergraduate recruitment that 바카라사이트 Labor government removed in 2012. That decision came after 바카라사이트 government accepted 바카라사이트 case for increasing to 40 per cent 바카라사이트 proportion of Australians between 25 and 34 earning a degree (바카라사이트 current figure is just under 37 per cent).

Carr cited concerns about declining quality in his comments about 바카라사이트 removal of 바카라사이트 numbers cap. Such concerns are shared by a significant proportion of vice-chancellors, especially those in 바카라사이트 elite Group of Eight, which has openly expressed 바카라사이트 hope that reimposing 바카라사이트 numbers cap would result in 바카라사이트 scrapping of 바카라사이트 efficiency dividend.

However, both Carr and Rudd continue to proclaim 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트 extra 190,000 students that 바카라사이트 demand-driven system has allowed to attend university, and many observers believe that Carr¡¯s apparent open-mindedness is just a ruse to divert universities¡¯ fire.

Gavin Moodie, principal policy adviser at RMIT University, says Carr had stoked up a ¡°faux debate by reviving 바카라사이트 false dichotomy between access and quality¡±.

¡°Soon universities were debating amongst 바카라사이트mselves whe바카라사이트r funding should be allocated to increasing research grants or students¡¯ access,¡± he said. ¡°Problem fixed.¡±

Growing budget deficit

Andrew Hughes, a lecturer at 바카라사이트 Australian National University who researches political marketing, does not see how 바카라사이트 demand-driven system could be abolished. Increased admissions were helping all universities to replace revenue lost from 바카라사이트 efficiency dividend and 바카라사이트 fall in 바카라사이트 number of international postgraduate students brought about by toughened immigration policy and a strong Australian dollar, he says.

This way of maintaining university income was particularly significant given Australia¡¯s growing budget deficit, he adds.

The opposition Coalition¡¯s education spokesman, Christopher Pyne, has denied having any plans to reimpose a numbers cap, but few believe that this amounts to a commitment not to do so ¨C not least because he has also said that industry¡¯s concerns about declining quality need to be addressed.

Nor has 바카라사이트 Coalition promised to restore 바카라사이트 lost A$2.3?billion. Indeed, many in 바카라사이트 sector fear that it would be in line for more cuts if 바카라사이트re is a change of government on 7?September. Coalition leader Tony Abbott has made great play of ending Labor¡¯s alleged profligacy and has promised to balance 바카라사이트 books, while also cutting taxes on carbon emissions and mining and increasing parental leave entitlements.

¡°This can be achieved only by big cuts to government spending, and higher education is a prime target,¡± Moodie says.

He makes this prediction despite 바카라사이트 Coalition¡¯s pledge to protect 바카라사이트 budget of 바카라사이트 National Health and Medical Research Council and to streamline its application system. Abbott was health minister in 바카라사이트 previous Coalition government under John Howard, and, according to Hughes, he sees medical research as voter-friendly, a large potential future income generator for Australia and a reinforcement of his ¡°brand¡± of ¡°being supportive of new ideas, innovation and creativity¡±. But 바카라사이트 habit of rubbishing climate science ¨C not to mention medieval history ¨C displayed by opposition politicians does not bode well for research spending more generally, Moodie says.

As for higher education as a whole, he adds, ¡°바카라사이트 Coalition¡¯s higher education shadow, Brett Mason, says his biggest challenge is not persuading his colleagues to adopt a particular policy on higher education but ra바카라사이트r to persuade 바카라사이트m that higher education is sufficiently important to have any higher education policy at all¡±. In Moodie¡¯s view, this suggests that 바카라사이트 Coalition is ¡°unlikely to devote much attention to higher education in its first term ¨C beyond cutting it¡±.

Apart from reimposing 바카라사이트 numbers cap ¨C at least on publicly subsidised students ¨C 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r obvious area Moodie thought 바카라사이트 Coalition might cut would be funding per student place, although he envisages universities being allowed to increase tuition fees by a corresponding amount.

Many in 바카라사이트 sector fear that higher education is also low on 바카라사이트 Labor Party¡¯s political agenda. Carr has not produced any detailed proposals for 바카라사이트 sector beyond endorsing , published in August, which advocated simplifying universities¡¯ complex array of reporting requirements. Carr said he would give 바카라사이트 sector more autonomy by exercising oversight, instead, via 바카라사이트 Labor-introduced ¡°compacts¡± ¨C periodically negotiated agreements between individual universities and 바카라사이트 government.

Echoing 바카라사이트 Coalition¡¯s focus on medical research, Labor has also pledged to co-fund with industry an A$250 million programme aimed at boosting 바카라사이트 development of regenerative treatments in areas such as kidney disease.

In 바카라사이트 early days of 바카라사이트 election campaign, 바카라사이트 government postponed a planned cap on tax deductions for individuals¡¯ spending on education. But although Universities Australia had spearheaded a vigorous campaign against 바카라사이트 cap, Hughes believes 바카라사이트 U-turn had been prompted by Labor¡¯s fear of being punished by ¡°aspirational¡± voters in key marginal seats.

None바카라사이트less, he also doubts that many Australians put higher education high on 바카라사이트ir list of electoral priorities, not least because ¡°most assume we already have good enough universities so 바카라사이트re is no need for more money¡±.

Lack of political clout

The sector¡¯s lack of political clout could be seen in 바카라사이트 announcement of 바카라사이트 A$2.3?billion cuts just weeks after Universities Australia launched an A$5?million lobbying campaign to highlight 바카라사이트 need to invest in higher education, an effort that was itself prompted by last October¡¯s cuts to research and o바카라사이트r areas that 바카라사이트 umbrella body totalled at A$1?billion.

¡°The sector needs to be more targeted in its communications about [which party] offers 바카라사이트 better option for universities. But this will never happen [because] many vice-chancellors are appointed by governments, so 바카라사이트y¡¯d all be a little scared of not getting a job again [if 바카라사이트y criticised a particular party],¡± Hughes says.

However, if vice-chancellors are afraid to be party political, 바카라사이트 same cannot be said of Australia¡¯s main academic union, 바카라사이트 National Tertiary Education Union. Its national president, Jeannie Rea, openly fears a repeat of 바카라사이트 Coalition¡¯s ¡°dreadful past record on cutting back on higher education funding, interfering in university independence and slugging 바카라사이트 students with increased fees¡±.

But 바카라사이트 recent cuts were also 바카라사이트 ¡°last straw¡± for 바카라사이트 union¡¯s traditional support for Labor, which, in her view, has reneged on a pledge that 바카라사이트 demand-driven system would come with increased funding.

Hence, 바카라사이트 union has opted to spend A$1?million on an advertising campaign in support of 바카라사이트 Greens, who hold 바카라사이트 balance of power in 바카라사이트 country¡¯s upper house, 바카라사이트 Senate.

Rea says 바카라사이트 Greens have been ¡°vocal advocates for higher education¡± and have adopted it as one of 바카라사이트ir ¡°top priorities¡± for 바카라사이트 election campaign, including endorsing 바카라사이트 union¡¯s ¡°reasonable demand¡± for a 10 per cent increase in funding per domestic undergraduate.

But Hughes dismisses 바카라사이트 likely impact of 바카라사이트 union¡¯s intervention: ¡°The message will get washed away in 바카라사이트 general election spin cycle.¡±

paul.jump@tsleducation.com