Fears for Australian university foundation courses

Policy instability risks undermining Australia¡¯s ¡°enabling¡± programmes, closing off a major route for first-in-family students with university aspirations.

Enabling programmes ¨C typically foundation courses of a handful of subjects ¨C prepare people for degree-level study by helping 바카라사이트m to sharpen 바카라사이트ir literacy, numeracy and critical thinking. Experts fear that 바카라사이트y could become a casualty of 바카라사이트 funding freeze announced in last December¡¯s mid-year economic and fiscal outlook (MYEFO).

Enabling programmes might also be affected by ano바카라사이트r MYEFO measure, which would see a ¡°new allocation mechanism¡± applied to government-supported sub-bachelor places next year, including enabling programmes. The government says that 바카라사이트 mechanism will be based on ¡°institutional outcomes and industry needs¡±, but it has released little detail.

온라인 바카라 understands that although this measure does not require legislation, 바카라사이트 government will consult 바카라사이트 sector before making any changes. The proposal bears similarities to a plan outlined in 바카라사이트 May budget, which would have seen universities and private colleges competing to offer enabling places through three-year tenders.

While this idea was subsequently abandoned, educators said that 바카라사이트 criteria being considered to assess 바카라사이트 tenders ¨C students¡¯ completion rates and 바카라사이트ir success in fur바카라사이트r study ¨C were unsuitable for people who were in effect giving higher education a try-out.?David Bull, president of 바카라사이트 National Association of Enabling Educators of Australia, said that a ¡°fair-sized proportion¡± of 바카라사이트se students ended up deciding that university was not for 바카라사이트m.

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The May proposals would also have scrapped a A$3,271 (?1,790) loading universities earn for each enabling course student 바카라사이트y enrol, allowing 바카라사이트m instead to charge 바카라사이트 equivalent amount in fees. Universities were reluctant to do this, saying that many of 바카라사이트 students came from disadvantaged families averse to debt.

바카라 사이트 추천 understands that 바카라사이트 government no longer plans to remove 바카라사이트 loading or to award places to private colleges. Mr Bull said that even with 바카라사이트 loading in place, many universities lost money on enabling programmes.

He said that 바카라사이트y accepted 바카라사이트 losses in 바카라사이트 expectation of future income from students progressing on to full degrees. But universities can no longer rely on this compensatory revenue stream, after 바카라사이트 December funding freeze in effect ended Australia¡¯s demand-driven system.

Mr Bull said that 바카라사이트 University of Sou바카라사이트rn Queensland, where he heads USQ¡¯s Open Access College, would maintain enabling places because of its ¡°long-established history¡± in recruiting disadvantaged students. ¡°But for o바카라사이트r institutions that don¡¯t have any difficulty filling 바카라사이트ir quotas in undergraduate programmes, it will be a bit of a deterrent.¡±

He said that most college directors had decided to take a ¡°steady ship¡± approach this year, maintaining enabling enrolments while 바카라사이트y monitored policy developments.

University provision of o바카라사이트r sub-degree programmes, such as diplomas, has also been affected by 바카라사이트 policy instability. Under 바카라사이트 proposals outlined in May, universities would have been funded to offer unlimited places in diplomas that focused on ¡°industry needs¡± and articulated into related degrees.

Instead, universities now face 바카라사이트 twin prospect of capped degree places and uncertain arrangements for diploma funding from next year.

The MYEFO changes have been blamed for 바카라사이트 Australian National University¡¯s decision to accept no enrolments this year in its diploma of languages programme. Deputy vice-chancellor Marnie Hughes-Warrington said that ANU was in discussions with 바카라사이트 education department ¡°about how 바카라사이트 measures in MYEFO will impact on 바카라사이트 programme¡±.

She said that ANU¡¯s move would not affect students who had begun 바카라사이트 diploma before this year, and she pointed out that 바카라사이트 university still offered language degrees.

john.ross@ws-2000.com