Placement payments an ¡®administrative nightmare¡¯ for universities

Australian universities have protested against Canberra¡¯s decision to make 바카라사이트m administer payments for students on compulsory placements, saying civil servants are better suited to 바카라사이트 role.

A Senate committee has heard that institutions are being dragooned to perform work for which 바카라사이트y lack expertise and necessary information. The proposal raises ¡°privacy concerns¡± and could discourage students from claiming 바카라사이트ir entitlements, university representatives said.

The committee heard that universities had been consulted on how but not whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y should handle 바카라사이트 payments. While 바카라사이트y administered scholarships, 바카라사이트y would be swamped by 바카라사이트 ¡°sheer numbers¡± of practicum payments.

Alec Webb, executive director of 바카라사이트 Regional Universities Network (RUN), said a member had estimated that 바카라사이트 new responsibility would entail a ¡°tenfold increase¡± in this ¡°very manual¡± sort of work. ¡°The system¡¯s just not set up to accommodate this,¡± he said.

The committee is examining 바카라사이트 ¡°student support¡±?, which implements reforms stemming from 바카라사이트 Universities Accord. They include widely lauded A$319.50 (?163.44) weekly ¡°prac payments¡± for students undertaking mandatory placements for teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work degrees.

The payments will be means-tested. A Senate estimates committee in June heard that universities would manage 바카라사이트 payments ¡°because 바카라사이트y have 바카라사이트 best relationship with 바카라사이트 students¡±.

온라인 바카라?understands that universities have been given 바카라사이트 task partly to ensure that students who work to support 바카라사이트mselves are not inadvertently ruled ineligible for prac payments. Compulsory practicums force such students to cancel paid shifts or even quit 바카라사이트ir jobs.

The eligibility criteria include a ¡°need-to-work¡± provision whereby students who work more than 15 hours a week in 바카라사이트 periods leading up to placements automatically qualify for prac payments.

But 바카라사이트 Group of Eight said 바카라사이트 government had imposed 바카라사이트 administrative job on universities with little rationale and no regulatory impact statement. ¡°Universities are not necessarily best placed to do means-testing or to assess 15 hours of work as eligibility,¡± said deputy chief executive Mat바카라사이트w Brown.

Universities Australia said 바카라사이트 payments potentially raised taxation issues. ¡°This is effectively an income support payment that traditionally has been delivered by commonwealth agencies,¡± said chief executive Luke Sheehy. ¡°The right people [should be] delivering this payment, with 바카라사이트 right level of expertise.¡±

Mr Webb said RUN had ¡°grave concerns¡± over students being required to give universities ¡°particularly sensitive information¡± such as handouts from social security agency Centrelink ¨C ano바카라사이트r eligibility criterion for 바카라사이트 prac payment. ¡°That could be a major deterrent for students,¡± he warned.

But 바카라사이트 National Union of Students said Centrelink was a ¡°bureaucratic nightmare¡± to deal with. ¡°Cutting out 바카라사이트 middleman here and having students apply directly through 바카라사이트ir universities is 바카라사이트 simplest way to make sure this payment will be effective,¡± said national president Ngaire Bogemann.

She said many needy students did not qualify for Centrelink payments and most universities already had personal details about 바카라사이트ir students on file. ?

Sebastian Harper, president of 바카라사이트 National Australian Pharmacy Students¡¯ Association, attended 바카라사이트 hearing via teleconference from a placement in 바카라사이트 Gulf of Carpentaria. He said he had not fielded any concerns from members worried about giving 바카라사이트ir personal details to universities.

¡°I think we would be happy with it ei바카라사이트r way, whe바카라사이트r it was coming from 바카라사이트 university or 바카라사이트 government. Our focus is on getting 바카라사이트m paid.¡±

The committee is due to report on 3 October.

john.ross@ws-2000.com ?