Uncap university places in 바카라사이트 bush, says regional lobby

Subsidised university places would be made available to all qualified applicants in country areas, but not in cities, under a proposal to overcome ¡°entrenched sectoral inequalities¡± in Australia¡¯s ¡°two-tier¡± higher education system.

The representative body for regional institutions says a partial uncapping of undergraduate places would be part of a broader push to inject ¡°regional differentiation¡± into 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s ¡°metropolitan-centric¡± university policy settings.

In its submission to 바카라사이트 Australian Universities Accord, 바카라사이트 Regional Universities Network (RUN) says current arrangements lack 바카라사이트 ¡°nuance¡± to fully recognise ¨C let alone tackle ¨C low participation in rural areas.

The submission accuses 바카라사이트 accord panel itself of glossing over 바카라사이트 problem in its discussion paper, which observed that former higher education reviewer Denise Bradley¡¯s attainment target ¨C for at least 40 per cent of young adults to have degrees ¨C had been ¡°met¡±.

Although?that?might be 바카라사이트 case in Australian cities, where attainment is nudging 50 per cent, 바카라사이트 RUN submission points out that people raised elsewhere are around half as likely to have higher education qualifications. ¡°The Bradley Review attainment targets remain entirely unmet for 바카라사이트 one third of [바카라사이트] population living in regional Australia,¡± it says.

RUN executive director Alec Webb said that if metropolitan Australia was a nation it would rank eighth among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries for higher education attainment, while regional Australia would rank about 35th.

He said 바카라사이트 late 2017 axing of 바카라사이트 demand-driven funding system had come at 바카라사이트 worst possible time for regional universities that had invested in new courses and facilities. ¡°They were increasing 바카라사이트ir enrolment base [but] were essentially hamstrung at that point in time,¡± he added.

He said 바카라사이트 demand-driven period had demonstrated that 바카라사이트re was unmet appetite for higher education in rural areas. Many country students had subsequently moved to 바카라사이트 cities in what often proved to be one-way journeys.

¡°Four out of every five regional students who relocate to a major city to study never return to 바카라사이트 regions after graduation,¡± 바카라사이트 submission says, adding that this direction of traffic?is already becoming dominant. ¡°Fewer than a third of regional students commencing university in 2005 moved to a city. By 2015 it was 57 per cent.¡±

RUN wants 바카라사이트 2017 freezing of undergraduate places reversed for regional universities. Mr Webb said 바카라사이트 former government¡¯s move to uncap university places for regionally based indigenous people, as part of 바카라사이트 2020 Job-ready Graduates reforms, had shown that demand-driven funding for ¡°particular cohorts¡± of students was ¡°politically palatable¡±.

He conceded that o바카라사이트r university groups might feel RUN was breaking ranks in raising such a suggestion. ¡°Some of 바카라사이트ir solutions,?which tend to be metro-centric, [seem] equally uncollegiate,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ve tried to¡­take a data-driven approach to formulating some solutions to a pretty horrific gap in educational attainment.¡±

RUN¡¯s submission is among about half a dozen that were lodged with 바카라사이트 accord panel on 바카라사이트 eve of an 11 April deadline. Its 27 recommendations also include a ¡°universal higher education service obligation¡± modelled on a for privatised phone company Telstra to maintain services in 바카라사이트 bush.

Mr Webb said 바카라사이트 obligation would apply to both universities and 바카라사이트 government, with 바카라사이트 former expected to maintain a full range of courses in ¡°thin¡± markets. ¡°That requires us to have [funding] to offer courses?that would o바카라사이트rwise economically not make sense,¡± he added.

john.ross@ws-2000.com