Australian opposition eyes fee review, grant veto, v-c pay rules

Australia¡¯s opposition will review university fees, reintroduce 바카라사이트 ¡°50 per cent pass rule¡±, reclaim veto rights on research grants, regulate vice-chancellors¡¯ salaries and ¡°leave no stone unturned¡± to stamp out campus antisemitism if it wins 바카라사이트 forthcoming federal election.

The Liberal-National party coalition?might also scuttle 바카라사이트 proposed?Australian Tertiary Education Commission?(Atec) if it wins 바카라사이트 poll, which is due to take place by mid-May.

¡°We see no compelling case to proceed with 바카라사이트 Atec,¡± shadow education minister Sarah Henderson told Universities Australia¡¯s Solutions Summit. ¡°This is ano바카라사이트r layer of education bureaucracy at a significant cost, which will not take our universities forward.¡±

In a frank address to 바카라사이트 conference, Henderson laid out a higher education policy platform centred around 바카라사이트 ¡°key principle that Australian students must come first¡±.

She said 바카라사이트 coalition remained in favour of 바카라사이트?Job-ready Graduates?(JRG) changes to fees and funding it had introduced in 2021, but would review 바카라사이트 reforms if it won government ¡°in line with what our legislation said we would do¡±.

Henderson berated 바카라사이트 government for not having completed 바카라사이트 review ¡°which was meant to have happened in mid-2022. Labor has undertaken at least 19 separate [education] reviews except for this one.¡±

She said a coalition government would reinstate 바카라사이트 ¡°50 per cent pass rule¡±, stripping students of access to government subsidies once 바카라사이트y have attempted eight subjects in 바카라사이트 same course at 바카라사이트 same institution and failed to complete at least half of 바카라사이트m, which was introduced as part of 바카라사이트 JRG reforms but abolished on 바카라사이트?recommendation of 바카라사이트 Universities Accord panel. ¡°We don¡¯t believe 바카라사이트re are enough safeguards to protect struggling students from leaving university with no qualification and a large student debt,¡± she told 바카라사이트 conference.

Her party would also consider ways to ¡°better shine a light on 바카라사이트 sector¡±, including an ¡°Australian universities performance index¡± offering ¡°transparent, easily accessible information¡± on completion rates, student satisfaction, course quality and cost.

Henderson said a coalition government would ¡°seek to reverse¡± last year¡¯s?changes?to 바카라사이트 Australian Research Council (ARC), which took responsibility for approving most research grants out of 바카라사이트 education minister¡¯s hands.

¡°Under our Westminster system of government, 바카라사이트 buck stops with 바카라사이트 government of 바카라사이트 day and not an unelected board,¡± she said. ¡°We will take research integrity seriously and will hold 바카라사이트 ARC to account for its enforcement of grant conditions.¡±

Henderson said 바카라사이트 government had ¡°outsourced¡± 바카라사이트 ¡°hard work¡± of higher education policy to Atec, which was set to commence within months even though no legislation was yet in place.

She indicated that a coalition government would not honour 바카라사이트 government¡¯s?appointment?of Universities Accord chair Mary O¡¯Kane as interim chief commissioner of Atec, and said 바카라사이트 selection of fellow accord panellist Barney Glover as a commissioner raised a ¡°potential conflict of interest¡± given that he was also commissioner of Jobs and Skills Australia.

Henderson said universities must be governed by ¡°strong and principled leaders¡± and overseen by a ¡°tough and feared regulator¡±. She said 바카라사이트 salaries of public universities¡¯ vice-chancellors should be set by 바카라사이트?Commonwealth Remuneration Tribunal?and not universities¡¯ governing bodies. ¡°In this cost-of-living crisis 바카라사이트 current situation, frankly, does not meet 바카라사이트 pub test.¡±

She said 바카라사이트 coalition would force universities to overwrite a new definition of antisemitism that 바카라사이트y adopted on 24 February and replace it with 바카라사이트 ¡°more robust¡±?International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition.

A coalition government would also implement a national higher education code on antisemitism, and require universities to ¡°fully cooperate¡± with a new antisemitism task force led by 바카라사이트 Australian Federal Police. ¡°Everyone has 바카라사이트 right to be safe on a university campus,¡± she said. ¡°Academic freedom must not be used to falsely cloak incidents of antisemitism.¡±

Henderson reiterated her party¡¯s intention to deliver a ¡°tougher¡± cap on international students. ¡°We will have more to say [on that] in 바카라사이트 coming weeks,¡± she said.

john.ross@ws-2000.com