Gannawarra Shire Council

Submission to the Parliament of – Education and Training Committee

Inquiry into Geographical Differences in the Rate at which Victorian Students Participate in Higher Education

Address all correspondence to the: Chief Executive Officer, PO Box 287, Vic 3579 Telephone: (03) 5450 9333 Fax: (03) 5450 3023 Email: [email protected]

Terms of reference

The Committee is conducting an inquiry into geographical differences in the rate at which Victorian students participate in higher education.

The Committee will be exploring the: • reasons for such differences • impact of such differences.

The Committee is interested in receiving comment on the following.

1. Differences – across metropolitan, rural and regional areas – in the number and type of university applications, offers, acceptances and completions.

2. The influences of school retention rates on participation in higher education. Note: ‘School retention rates’ includes enrolments and completions for VCE, VCAL and Vet in Schools.

3. The influences of participation in other post-school pathways on participation in higher education. Note: ‘Other post-school pathways’ includes TAFE enrolments, and take up of apprenticeships or other employment opportunities.

4. Potential geographic, economic, social, cultural and other influences on university applications, offers, acceptances and completions.

5. Advantages and disadvantages of participation and non-participation in higher education for school leavers and their families and communities.

6. The potential effects of geographic differences in participation in higher education on skills shortages and the Victorian economy.

7. Strategies to address any barriers contributing to geographic differences in participating in higher education.

The closing date for written submissions to the Committee is Tuesday 18 March 2008.

Gannawarra Shire Council Submission to the Parliament of Victoria Education and Training Committee 2

Gannawarra Shire background information

Gannawarra Shire is located beside the , in the Loddon Murray region of Victoria. It is three hours’ drive from . The major regional centres of Bendigo, Echuca and are 45 minutes to 75 minutes away by road.

Gannawarra Shire Council has an area of 3,732 square kilometres and a population of 10,898 (2006 ABS data). Only 159 are indigenous and only 524 were born outside .

Twenty per cent of the population is under 15 years of age and 20% of the population is over 65 years of age.

Agriculture is by far the largest employer in the Shire. Retail; manufacturing; and health and community services are the next largest employers. Agricultural activities include cropping, dairying, grazing, horticulture and viticulture. The main industries include agriculture and dairy product manufacturing.

The average household income, at $36,500, is much lower than the State average of $53,100. The median individual household income, at $19,600 is also lower than the State average of $23,700.

Gannawarra Shire falls within the Commonwealth Electoral Division of .

Gannawarra Shire also falls within the area bounded by the Murray Mallee Local Learning and Employment Network (Murray Mallee LLEN or MMLLEN). The Murray Mallee LLEN is based in Swan Hill, Victoria, and covers all or parts of the Local Government areas of the (excluding Cohuna), Swan Hill Rural City Council (excluding ) and the ( only). The MMLLEN has a primary focus on education, training and employment pathways for young people aged between 15 to 24 years of age.

Map showing area covered by the Murray Mallee LLEN

Other than the Kerang Learning Centre, which offers short courses and a small range of accredited Certificate I, II and III courses (Business, Aged Care, Information Technology), there are no providers of further education in the municipality.

Sunraysia Institute of TAFE (SIOT), based in Swan Hill, 45 minutes and 80 kilometres away is the closest. Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE (BRIT), in Bendigo, 75 minutes away by road, is the next closest. Rail networks connect both locations to towns in Gannawarra Shire.

According to ABS data, Gannawarra Shire has half the number of people with tertiary qualifications than the rest of Victoria.

Gannawarra Shire Council Submission to the Parliament of Victoria Education and Training Committee 3 1. Differences – across metropolitan, rural and regional areas – in the number and type of university applications, offers, acceptances and completions.

Fewer young people from Gannawarra Shire apply for, are accepted into and complete university studies than do young people from many other areas of Victoria. And indications are that numbers are falling rapidly. The Murray Mallee LLEN – LCP 2006 Environmental Scan highlights a 50% drop in university enrolments from 2002–2004 by students in the MMLLEN – LCP region.

Table 1. University participation rates by 18 year olds by region (2006)

Region 18 year olds (%)

Melbourne 51% Loddon 36% Central Highlands 33% 29% Western District 27% Goulburn 26% Mallee 23% Region 29% Source: Ballarat University presentation by Vice Chancellor, David Battersby

Table 2. MMLLEN – LCP region enrolments in Victorian Universities (2002–2006)

University 2002 2003 2004 2006*

Australian Catholic University 4 7 5 No current data Deakin University 14 16 15 La Trobe University 105 88 47 Monash University 9 7 6 RMIT University 14 7 5 Swinburne University of Technology 9 9 6 University of Ballarat 31 23 11 University of Melbourne 27 20 14 Victoria University 6 8 1 Total 218 185 110 No current data

Financial and geographical disadvantage is an obstacle to the participation of many young people in higher education.

Taking into account the additional costs imposed by distance and the fact that the average household income is just $36,500, Gannawarra Shire families have to spend a much greater proportion of their income in order to fund their children’s tertiary studies. Webb (2005) states that 30% of families in the federal electorate of Mallee (which includes Gannawarra Shire) would need to use 50% of their disposable income in order to send just one student to a tertiary institute in Melbourne.

The drought, rising interest rates, increased rental costs and rising petrol costs will only compound this situation.

Gannawarra Shire Council Submission to the Parliament of Victoria Education and Training Committee 4 2. The influences of school retention rates on participation in higher education.

Enrolments in Year 12 have reduced by 6% over the past 4 years while overall enrolments in years 10, 11 and 12 combined have reduced by 3% (Stewart, 2007).

Graph 1. School enrolments in Years 10–12 (2002–2006)

450

400

350

300

250 2002 2006 200

150 Source: Presentation to 100 MMLLEN Board by Executive

Students enrolled in years 10 - 12 10 - Students enrolled in years Officer Mr Glenn Stewart, 2007 50

0 Kerang Tech. MacKillop Managatang P-Swan Hill SC Tyrrell P-12 Robinvale SC HS College 12

Participation in Vocational Education Training (VET) courses has increased from 33% in 2003 to 38% in 2006. In 2006, there were 661 students enrolled in Years 11 and 12 in the region, with 84% studying for their Victorian Certificate in Education (VCE), and 16% studying for their Victorian Certificate in Applied Learning (VCAL).

Student percentages: Graph 2. Percentage of students enrolled in VCE, VCAL and VET VCE (2006) / VCAL / VET

38%

VCE VCAL

84% VET 16%

Source: Presentation to MMLLEN Board by Executive Officer Mr Glenn Stewart, 2007

Local participation in VET is above the regional, metropolitan and statewide average.

Gannawarra Shire Council Submission to the Parliament of Victoria Education and Training Committee 5 Graph 3. Participation in VET in the Murray Mallee LLEN compared with other regional and metropolitan areas.

50 45 40 35 30 Murray Mallee Rural and Regional To 25 Metropolitan Total 20 Victoria Total 15

% Participation in VET 10 5 Source: Presentation to MMLLEN Board by Executive Officer Mr Glenn 0 Stewart, 2007 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

On-Track data for MMLLEN region students completing school in 2005 shows (Table 3, below) that more students who left school on 2005 (completed Year 12 or left school early) are either underemployed or unemployed compared to school leavers in the rest of the State, although the uptake of apprenticeships and traineeships is above the State average. VET participation is comparable to the rest of Victoria, but university participation is 4% lower than the State average.

Table 3. On-Track data for MMLLEN region students (and Cohuna Secondary College) completing schooling in 2005

University (%) VET course (%) Apprentice or Full time work Un (or under) Trainee (%) (%) employed (%) Year 12 Completers Average Victoria 43 23 10 8 15 Murray Mallee 39 22 14 8 18

Cohuna Sec. College 30 22 22 9 17 Kerang Technical HS 38 24 7 21 10 Early School Leavers Average Victoria N/A 20 38 13 29 Murray Mallee N/A 16 33 16 35

Source: Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, On Track Survey Data www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/voced/ontrack/default.html

On-Track data for MMLLEN region students completing school in 2006 shows (Table 4, overleaf) a decrease in the number of students participating in university, a decrease in the number undertaking VET courses and a 6% increase in the number of apprenticeships and traineeships.

Gannawarra Shire Council Submission to the Parliament of Victoria Education and Training Committee 6 Table 4. On-Track data for MMLLEN region students (and Cohuna Secondary College) completing schooling in 2006

University VET course (%) Apprentice or Full time work (%) Un (or under) (%) Trainee (%) employed (%) Year 12 Completers Average Victoria 47 19 8 10 16 Murray Mallee LLEN 41 10 20 12 17 Cohuna Sec. College 28 11 28 27 6 Kerang Technical HS 49 12 22 12 3 Early School Leavers Average Victoria N/A 16 36 17 31 Murray Mallee N/A 7 56 11 26

Source: Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, On Track Survey Data www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/voced/ontrack/default.html

The early school leavers and Year 12 completers who have not been able to transfer from secondary school into further study, training or employment are at high risk of disengagement.

Of these two groups, the early school leavers are most likely to be at risk, and are expected to endure significantly longer durations of unemployment. Early school leavers are almost twice as likely to be either unemployed or underemployed and not accessing any training or further study) than year 12 completers.

Graph 4. Percentages of part-time or unemployed school leavers (2005)

50

45

40 35 30 Early school leavers 25

20 Completed Year 12

15 10 Source: Presentation to MMLLEN

% Part-tme work or unemployed 5 Board by Executive Officer Mr Glenn Stewart, 2007 0 Average Victoria Murray Mallee

3. The influences of participation in other post-school pathways on participation in higher education.

We have been unable to access data showing the influence of participation in other post-school pathways on further participation in higher education. It is unlikely that this is the case because, once again, this would necessitate potential students leaving the area to take up such opportunities.

SIOT estimates that about 18% of students who complete a course at SIOT undertake further studies (Scott, 2008).

Gannawarra Shire Council Submission to the Parliament of Victoria Education and Training Committee 7 4. Potential geographic, economic, social, cultural and other influences on university applications, offers, acceptances and completions.

Anecdotally, at least, drought is having a huge impact on the rate of university applications, acceptances and completions. Sonia McLeish, welfare officer at Kerang Technical High School, says students are telling her that they know their parents can’t afford to send them to university so they’re not even going to ask.

“The students don’t want to place an additional financial burden on their parents,” she says.

Students are also much more likely to delay entry to university while trying to gain independent status under Youth Allowance.

“Many of these young people are missing out because of their inability to earn the income required and giving up their places at university. Those who do go away are working to support themselves, sometimes in more than one job, seriously compromising their studies.” (Alston and Kent, 2006, p. 119)

What is also clear is that other students would not have applied to go to university in any case. They want to stay in town, with their families and friends. Although they might want to attend university, they don’t want to have to leave their homes in order to do so.

A MMLLEN survey conducted in 2005 asked students in years 11 and 12 within the eight regional secondary colleges whether they were interested in continuing to study at university level and whether they preferred to study locally, including an initial year of study. The result indicated a high desire to study locally either for a full course of for the initial year as preparation to continuing further study on campus.

Table 5. Results of survey showing study preferences of Year 11 and 12 students within eight regional colleges (2005)

School Intending to continue study Prefer to study within the region Yes No Unsure Yes Initial Year No Swan Hill College 75 15 42 47 24 61 MacKillop College 68 5 23 26 19 51 Tyrell College 21 3 2 4 6 16 Kerang Technical High School 43 0 21 28 13 23 Balranald Central 11 3 7 7 3 11 P12 9 1 2 0 1 11 Tooleybuc Central 14 1 1 7 2 7 Barham High School 18 4 6 13 3 9 Total 259 32 104 132 71 192 Total Surveyed 395 395 Proportion of total (%) 66 8 26 33 18 49

Source: Webb (2005), Enhancing University Access in the Central Murray Region.

The low number of tertiary trained people in the region may also be having an impact on university attendances. Young people may not be aspiring to attend university because they lack educational role models. Conversely, it may be that young people see apprenticeships and traineeships as offering greater job opportunities, particularly as the young people get paid while they are undertaking training.

Gannawarra Shire Council Submission to the Parliament of Victoria Education and Training Committee 8 5. Advantages and disadvantages of participation and non-participation in higher education for school leavers and their families and communities.

Advantages of participation The advantages of participation in higher education for school leavers, their families and their communities include: • Less likely to experience long-term unemployment • Increased income earning potential for individuals and their families • Increased skill-levels in the region (if they return to the region) • Local businesses have access to skilled staff • Increased potential for economic development • Greater leadership potential/capacity to achieve in local communities • Greater capacity to handle change and deal with diversity • Potentially a more vibrant, open-minded community that is more likely to attract others to the region.

Disadvantages of participation The disadvantage of participation in higher education for school leavers, their families and their communities: • Students have to reside away from home to participate in higher education, which can be a huge financial drain on families/individuals • Students, once having left the region to participate in higher education, often do not return. Seventy- seven per cent of 18 year olds from regional areas who go to Melbourne for University don’t return. This compares with 79% of 18-year olds who attend university in the regions stay in the regions (Battersby, 2007).

6. The potential effects of geographic differences in participation in higher education on skills shortages and the Victorian economy.

The potential for geographic differences in participation in higher education on skills shortages and the Victorian economy is immense.

Many local businesses cannot attract skilled employees from other regions, which limits their potential for growth which, in turn, limits the growth potential of the local economy.

Gannawarra Shire has significant skills shortages in dairying, engineering, town planning, health, accounting, welding and other trades.

7. Strategies to address any barriers contributing to geographic differences in participating in higher education.

Distance, or lack of immediate access to higher education institutions, is the major barrier to our youth and others in participating in higher education.

Lack of finances is another huge barrier.

It may seem that the only answer is to establish a university locally, but the small size of our Shire’s population makes this option unrealistic. Another option would be to provide greater funding support to enable local education providers to offer a greater range of courses, including courses that can be credited towards a university degree.

An investigation into Mid Murray tertiary courses is currently being undertaken with this approach in mind.

Gannawarra Shire Council Submission to the Parliament of Victoria Education and Training Committee 9 A regional scholarship that covers away-from-home accommodation expenses is one option that may address some of the barriers. Another option is some form of contribution to fuel/travelling costs to enable students to travel to educational institution of their choice.

On-line and flexible delivery course options are, of course, worth considering. But these options will only appeal to a reasonably small number of students and it is unlikely that on-line options, in particular, will attract students unless the students receive considerable additional support, both in terms of information technology and face-to-face contact.

References

Alston, M and Kent, J (2006), The impact of drought on secondary education access in Australia’s rural and remote areas: A report to DEST and the Rural Education Program of the FRRR, Centre of Rural Social Research (ILWS) Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga

Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006 Census of Population and Housing

Battersby, D (2007) State of the Regions: Accessing Education and Training, University of Ballarat, Victoria

Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (2007), On Track 2005 and On Track 2006, www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/voced/ontrack/default.html. Accessed 17 March 2007

Scott, W 2008, Personal Communication, 17 March 2008.

Stewart, G (2007), Presentation to MMLLEN Board, Murray Mallee Local Learning and Employment Network, Swan Hill, Victoria.

Webb, J (2005), Enhancing University Access in the Central Murray Region: A report prepared for the Mid Murray Higher Education Working Group, Webb Consulting Pty Ltd, Victoria

Gannawarra Shire Council Submission to the Parliament of Victoria Education and Training Committee 10