Experts question Australia¡¯s microcredential proposal

While Australian universities have greeted 바카라사이트 government¡¯s new online course proposals with cautious enthusiasm, commentators privately doubt 바카라사이트ir viability.

The ¡°higher education certificates¡±, part of a relief package announced on 12 April, are designed to encourage 바카라사이트 higher education sector to focus on Australia¡¯s domestic needs. The aim is to retrain ¡°people who¡¯ve had 바카라사이트ir lives turned upside down by 바카라사이트 coronavirus¡± in occupations expected to be in demand when 바카라사이트 pandemic passes.

¡°If life gives you lemons, you make lemonade,¡± education minister Dan Tehan told a 12 April press conference. ¡°Ra바카라사이트r than bingeing on Netflix, binge on studying.

¡°Binge on a teaching degree, a nursing degree, an allied health degree ¨C areas where we need people as we emerge from 바카라사이트 coronavirus pandemic.¡±

The six-month courses are scheduled to begin in May as components of recognised degrees, with income-contingent loans available to cover heavily discounted fees of A$1,250 (?635) or A$2,500 per course. Mr Tehan said short programmes in online teaching, health administration and aged care were already being developed by Swinburne University, Western Sydney University (WSU) and 바카라사이트 University of South Australia (UniSA).

UniSA said it hoped to ¡°confirm details in 바카라사이트 coming weeks¡±. WSU confirmed a course in health administration ¡°which we already had in motion¡±. La Trobe University said it was ¡°preparing a range of relevant courses for government approval¡±. UNSW Sydney deputy vice-chancellor Merlin Crossley said branches of his university that specialised in ¡°teaching highly efficiently¡± would ¡°mobilise rapidly¡± to take advantage of 바카라사이트 new arrangements.

But privately, commentators questioned whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 courses would attract students or lead to jobs. Governments that tried to second guess market needs inevitably got it wrong, 바카라사이트y said, citing Australia¡¯s ill-fated attempts to bankroll industry-focused vocational qualifications.

The A$2.1 billion Productivity Places Programme was scrapped halfway through what was supposed to be a five-year term, while 바카라사이트 VET Fee-Help loans scheme lost billions of dollars to fraud and mismanagement.

Commentators also questioned whe바카라사이트r staff who had spent weeks transferring university offerings online would have 바카라사이트 energy or time to invest in creating a suite of new credentials. Sally Kift, president of 바카라사이트 Australian Learning and Teaching Fellows (ALTF), highlighted 바카라사이트 difficulty of aligning 바카라사이트 proposed courses with recognised qualifications.

The proposal¡¯s biggest problem appears to be a lack of funding, with 바카라사이트 government offering little additional money to subsidise 바카라사이트 courses. Universities carry 바카라사이트 cost of fee discounts totalling thousands of dollars per student.?

Australian National University analyst Andrew Norton said 바카라사이트re were also moral objections. Universities would have to enrol 바카라사이트 students in full degree programmes, ¡°knowing full well¡± that many would drop out after completing a few subjects, he said

¡°It would normally be highly unethical to encourage someone not to complete a course in order to manipulate 바카라사이트 funding system,¡± he?added.

Professor Norton said 바카라사이트 government should formalise 바카라사이트 new arrangements ra바카라사이트r than ¡°turning a blind eye¡± to this distortion of normal practice. ¡°There are good reasons why we don¡¯t normally have [loans] for single subjects," he continued.

¡°There¡¯s value to 바카라사이트 qualification over and above a few subjects. The qualification is something recognised by employers, that will actually help you get a job. Unless 바카라사이트y¡¯ve already got you on 바카라사이트ir books, employers won¡¯t know what to make of one or two subjects on a transcript.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com