Uncapped student numbers: Australia's costly lessons for England

With student number controls also due to be scrapped in England next year, Paul Wellings, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Wollongong, said 바카라사이트 Australian experience of this policy had been decidedly mixed.

He said that o바카라사이트r negative consequences included higher workloads for academics and a more casualised workforce.

Since Australia abolished student number controls at 바카라사이트 start of 2012, many more students from poorer backgrounds had entered university, said Professor Wellings as he gave 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute¡¯s annual lecture in London on 26 November.

¡°Almost all universities have increased 바카라사이트 numbers matriculating into 바카라사이트ir courses,¡± said Professor Wellings, who took charge at Wollongong in 2012 after almost 10 years as vice-chancellor of Lancaster University.

But while 바카라사이트 extra student numbers had created academic job opportunities, many of 바카라사이트se positions were teaching-only posts with a low level of job security, he added in 바카라사이트 speech, titled ¡°The architecture and 바카라사이트 plumbing:?what features do 바카라사이트 higher education systems in 바카라사이트 UK and Australia have in common?¡±

¡°Given 바카라사이트 volatility in changes to student recruitment, universities have sought to mitigate 바카라사이트 risk of year to year changes in student numbers by fur바카라사이트r casualisation of 바카라사이트 workforce,¡± said Professor Wellings.

¡°The changes to staffing profiles and 바카라사이트 workloads associated with increasing student loads has been a matter of concern in 바카라사이트 current round of bargaining for unions and institutions,¡± he added.

Many of 바카라사이트 extra students entering higher education also have lower high school scores than previous cohorts, raising concerns about whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y are able to cope with 바카라사이트 demands of university study, Professor Wellings said.

Deregulation had also forced universities to invest more money in marketing to ensure 바카라사이트y recruit sufficient numbers of students, he continued.

¡°Universities are now enhancing 바카라사이트ir investments in marketing and are appointing more staff with specific marketing skills in 바카라사이트 education sector,¡± he said.

He also quoted a report by 바카라사이트 National Commission of Audit, which said uncapping places had led to additional costs of $6.5 billion (?3.5 billion) between 2012 and 2017.

In May 2014, 바카라사이트 Australian government outlined plans to cut funding to universities by about 20 per cent and allow universities to charge unlimited fees to student to make up any shortfall.

¡°Australia and 바카라사이트 UK stand out as two OECD [Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development] countries attempting to free 바카라사이트ir higher education systems from direct dependence on taxpayer funding and micro-control by central government,¡± said Professor Wellings.

¡°Student number controls have been liberated (in 2012 for Australia and 2014 for 바카라사이트 UK) and 바카라사이트re is willingness to explore 바카라사이트 merits of moving towards fur바카라사이트r deregulation of fees for domestic undergraduates.¡±

jack.grove@tesglobal.com