Holden: Higher education reform National News

Higher education reform juliA gillArd sAys the coMMonweAlth governMent will increAse the proportion of young AustrAliAns with An undergrAduAte QuAlificAtion, fund universities on the bAsis of student deMAnd And estAblish A nAtionAl regulAtory And QuAlity Agency for higher educAtion. STeVe hoLDen reports.

The Review of Australian Higher Education ❙ 20 per cent of undergraduates to be she said, adding that she also agreed with commissioned by Deputy Prime Minister from low socioeconomic backgrounds Bradley’s call for a demand-driven funding and Minister for Education Julia Gillard has by 2020 system. ‘All Australian universities will be called for structural reforms and additional ❙ increasing base funding for teaching in funded on the basis of student demand from investment for the higher education sector higher education by 10 per cent 2012,’ she said. The current cap on over- to the tune of more than $6 billion over the ❙ reforms to the student income support enrolment will be raised from 5 to 10 per next four years. system cent from 2010 and then wholly removed Speaking at the Universities Australia ❙ an increase in Research Infrastructure in 2012, she said. The government will also Conference in in March, Gillard Block Grants by $300 million a year establish a national regulatory and quality said the full detail of the Commonwealth ❙ $80 million extra a year from 2012 for agency for higher education. government’s response would be released sustainable higher-education provision ‘I want to make it absolutely clear that we in May at the time of the Budget, but said in regional areas will not be walking away from (the Bradley she would increase the proportion of young ❙ a feasibility study for a new national uni- Review’s) warnings or from its major rec- Australians with an undergraduate qualifi - versity for regional areas ommendations,’ Gillard said, but noted cation and wanted to put Australia in the ❙ a framework for higher education accred- that, ‘Budgetary constraints will affect the top group of Organisation for Economic itation, quality assurance and regulation immediacy of our response. We can’t imple- Cooperation and Development nations ❙ an independent national tertiary educa- ment it all today or tomorrow.’ for investment in university research and tion regulatory body The vice-chancellor of the Australian knowledge diffusion. ❙ adequate and indexed levels of funding National University (ANU), Professor Ian Chaired by Professor Denise Bradley, the for teaching and research Chubb, said the Commonwealth govern- Review called for an additional investment ❙ a reduction in Higher Education Loan ment was on the right track on agreed com- of $6 billion for higher education over the Program debts for graduates in teaching pacts for universities built around a student- next four years. The Review also called for by $1,500 a year for fi ve years, and centred approach to tertiary education and a a voucher system so that ‘funding will fol- ❙ a single Commonwealth, state and terri- focus on quality and exit standards. low the student.’ Handing the fi nal report to tory ministerial council with responsibility ‘Minister Gillard’s unambiguous mes- the Deputy PM in December, Bradley said, for all tertiary education and training. sage that there won’t be a system of micro- ‘The student income support system needed As the Review noted, ‘Because other coun- management, but agreed compacts and a much more fundamental look than we had tries have already moved to address partici- transparent oversight by the new independ- realised.’ On the question of lifting the cap pation and investment in tertiary education, ent national regulatory and quality agency on university fees, however, Bradley told as a means of assisting them to remain inter- is a very welcome announcement,’ Chubb Heather Ewart on ABC TV’s 7:30 Report nationally competitive, the recommendations said. ‘It means we are able to move on from that was something to address ‘some time in this report, if fully implemented, are likely what I’ve previously called the “one-size fi ts in the future.’ to do no more than maintain the relative all” approach. The focus on objective and Receiving the report, Gillard observed, international performance and position of comparative benchmarks of quality and per- ‘Even in these tough days, it’s very impor- the Australian higher education sector.’ formance is essential. tant to be laying the foundations for long- Speaking at the Universities Australia ‘It is a major breakthrough that all univer- term reform.’ Conference, Gillard outlined the Common- sities will be funded on the basis of student The Review called for: wealth government’s position. ‘By 2025, 40 demand from 2012, and the move to raise the ❙ 40 per cent of 25- to 34-year olds to attain per cent of all 25- to 34-year olds will have cap on over-enrolment from 2010 is a much a bachelor-level qualifi cation by 2020 a qualifi cation at bachelor level or above,’ needed immediate development – if costly.’

24 t e a c h e r a p r i l 2009

Produced by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), 2010 1 Teacher journal archive (2008-2011), Vol. 2009 [2010], No. 200, Art. 2

Professor Richard Larkins, Chair of Universities Australia, said, ‘The 350 del- Merit pay for the US egates at the conference showed their clear Yes we can: in his first major speech on though we know it can make a difference in approval of Minister Gillard’s announce- education, United States President Barack the classroom.’ ments, and we feel this will be the begin- Obama last month called for performance- That resistance has largely centred on the ning of real, positive change and support for based pay for teachers as well as longer mechanisms by which the performance of universities in Australia.’ school days, and years, to improve student teachers might be measured. Performance, With so much agreement, you might achievement. according to US Education Secretary Arne think it’s all onward and upwards, but ‘The future belongs to the nation that Duncan in an interview for Associated before the March conference, divisions had best educates its citizens,’ he said. ‘We have Press, includes student test scores. ‘What appeared. While the Australian Technol- everything we need to be that nation...and you want to do is really identify the best ogy Network (ATN), representing Curtin yet, despite resources that are unmatched and brightest by a range of metrics, includ- University of Technology, Uni- anywhere in the world, we have let our ing student achievement,’ he said. versity of Technology, RMIT University, grades slip, our schools crumble, our Obama’s economic stimulus plans include the University of South Australia and the teacher quality fall short and other nations $216 billion for education, $20 billion of University of Technology, , generally outpace us.... Too many supporters of my which targets funds to low-income school supported the recommendations, the Group party have resisted the idea of rewarding districts for the purpose of boosting aca- of Eight, representing ANU, Monash Uni- excellence in teaching with extra pay, even demic achievement. versity and the Universities of Adelaide, , , Sydney, Queensland and Western Australia, were Schools and alcohol worried that the government might accept The National Centre for Education and ­Initiative,’ will investigate existing research the review as a whole. According to a Training on Addiction (NCETA) at Flinders on alcohol education programs aimed at report by Luke Slattery in the Austral- University is examining alcohol education deterring and reducing alcohol use by sec- ian, the Group of Eight said the Review in schools in a research project commis- ondary school students. It will also involve was a ‘road map to mediocrity’ that was sioned by the Commonwealth government, consultation with experts and key stake- not properly thought through and costed, and wants interested teachers, parents and holders about their experience with school- and could not deliver dramatic increases in students to become involved by providing based alcohol education programs. NCETA quality and output. a short written submission or completing will then make recommendations to the University of NSW vice-chancellor Fred an online survey by 3 April. The research Department of Education, Employment and Hilmer said the Review did ‘not clearly project will also involve interviews with Workplace Relations. acknowledge the fundamentally important school personnel and students from govern- principles of excellence, differentiation of ment, independent and Catholic schools in To get involved, visit www.nceta.flinders. mission and the importance of a university all Australian states and territories. edu.au or contact NCETA by phoning 08 education for its own sake,’ according to The project, part of the Commonwealth 8201 7575 or emailing nceta@flinders. Slattery’s report. ‘There is little recognition government’s ‘Youth Binge ­Drinking edu.au in the Bradley report of the special and key role played by research intensive, interna- tionally well-ranked institutions.’ Speaking at an ATN conference, Bradley ‘Appalling spree of terror’ said, ‘I am aware of the arguments about Three armed teenagers were arrested by Meanwhile, nine students – eight of the strategic importance of greater con- police last month after an attack at the them girls – as well as three female teach- centration of internationally-competitive Auburn campus of Trinity Catholic College ers were killed at Albertville Realschule in research performance, but I think that there in Sydney’s west that Parramatta Children’s Winnenden, north of Stuttgart in south- are good national reasons for us to adopt a Court Magistrate Gary Still described as an western Germany, when 17-year-old former model which continues to encourage some ‘appalling spree of terror.’ The three teen­ student Tim Kretschmer entered the school spread across institutions’ rather than ‘too agers aged between 15 and 17 pleaded guilty grounds and began shooting. Kretschmer much concentration of research capacity in to six charges. Two of the three teenagers also killed three members of the public as too small a number of what will inevitably applied for bail, but Magistrate Still refused he fled, before killing himself when he was be capital city institutions.’ the application. cornered and wounded by police.

n a t i o n a l n e w s 25 https://research.acer.edu.au/teacher/vol2009/iss200/2 2