One system, two sectors: Noonan book eyes ¡®unfinished business¡¯

Australian tertiary education will morph into a single system of two ¡°strongly connected¡± sectors, with ¡°simple, fairer¡± funding guided by a tertiary education commission. A reinvigorated vocational education and training (VET) sector will share equal billing with higher education, freed?from 바카라사이트 ¡°distortions and inequities¡± that have seen universities flourish at vocational colleges¡¯ expense.

VET students at apprentice level will qualify for income-contingent loans while apprenticeships ¨C now largely restricted to 바카라사이트 trades ¨C will expand across ¡°a much wider range of occupations¡±. Public spending on tertiary education will be maintained or increased in real terms. ¡°Transparent¡± rationales will govern fees and subsidies in both sectors. Cross-subsidisation will be eliminated, with research funding separated from teaching grants.

This blueprint for change comes not from 바카라사이트 keenly awaited final report of 바카라사이트 Australian Universities Accord?panel, but from a book on 바카라사이트 life work of a policy heavyweight involved in many key developments in Australian tertiary education from 바카라사이트 time of 1980s education minister John Dawkins.

Peter Noonan, who lost his life to cancer in 2022, was an adviser to Mr Dawkins when 바카라사이트 바카라사이트n Labor government financed a massive expansion of 바카라사이트 university system via income-contingent loans. At that stage Professor Noonan was already a veteran lobbyist and reformer, having been president of 바카라사이트 Australian Union of Students, assistant national secretary of 바카라사이트 Australian Teachers¡¯ Federation and a senior executive in 바카라사이트 Victorian public service.

His political, administrative, consultancy and research career spanned almost five decades. Among many key positions, he was general manager of 바카라사이트 Australian National Training Authority in 바카라사이트 1990s and a member of 바카라사이트 Bradley Higher Education Review panel in 2008. His?2019 review?of 바카라사이트 Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) is considered one of 바카라사이트 finest tertiary education reform recipes never to have taken effect.

¡°His reform fingerprints are everywhere,¡± former Australian prime minister and education minister Julia Gillard writes in a foreword to 바카라사이트 book, . ¡°It is impossible to imagine what Australia¡¯s education system would look like today if we had been deprived of his wisdom.¡±

Co-editor Rob Pascoe said Professor Noonan had considered VET reform 바카라사이트 ¡°unfinished business¡± of 바카라사이트 Dawkins revolution. It?was also considered?unfinished business of 바카라사이트 Bradley review, some two decades later.

Professor Pascoe, a historian, said 바카라사이트 stage was now set to right that wrong with Professor Noonan¡¯s AQF recommendations as a ¡°centrepiece¡±. The Noonan review, which was?accepted?by 바카라사이트 바카라사이트n federal government but never implemented, proposed replacing 바카라사이트 AQF hierarchy ¨C a league table from basic vocational certificates to doctoral degrees ¨C with eight knowledge bands and six skill bands, allowing more overlap between higher and vocational qualifications.

Professor Pascoe said this would be 바카라사이트 ¡°hardest bit of 바카라사이트 reform¡± because it would require jurisdictions to agree to new metrics of knowledge, skills and capabilities. It would need to be driven by an ¡°overarching government system¡± in 바카라사이트 form of an independent tertiary education financing authority, which Professor Noonan proposed in a??for Victoria University¡¯s Mitchell Institute.

The new authority, currently under consideration by 바카라사이트 Universities Accord panel, would also have 바카라사이트 task of extending loans to higher level vocational certificates ¨C a ¡°glaring omission¡± from 바카라사이트 Dawkins reforms, according to Professor Pascoe. ¡°It was always a bee in Peter¡¯s bonnet,¡± he said.

john.ross@ws-2000.com