This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/feb/18/state-minister-calls-for-university-funding-caps-to-be-reintroduced
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| State minister calls for university funding caps to be reintroduced State minister calls for university funding caps to be reintroduced | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The Turnbull government says it has no plans to reintroduce caps on the number of university places, even as a Coalition state minister calls for limits and federal Labor vows to force higher standards through funding agreements with institutions. | The Turnbull government says it has no plans to reintroduce caps on the number of university places, even as a Coalition state minister calls for limits and federal Labor vows to force higher standards through funding agreements with institutions. |
| The New South Wales education minister, Adrian Piccoli, has revived debate about ending Australia’s demand-driven system, which allows public universities to access funding for as many bachelor-degree students as they are able to enrol. | The New South Wales education minister, Adrian Piccoli, has revived debate about ending Australia’s demand-driven system, which allows public universities to access funding for as many bachelor-degree students as they are able to enrol. |
| “Where there are a limited number of ... jobs available, they should be capping places,” Piccoli, a Nationals MP, told Fairfax Media. “Why are we training all of these people when the majority of them won’t get jobs?” | “Where there are a limited number of ... jobs available, they should be capping places,” Piccoli, a Nationals MP, told Fairfax Media. “Why are we training all of these people when the majority of them won’t get jobs?” |
| The federal education minister, Simon Birmingham, responded by saying the government had “no plans to reinstate caps” on places but he was looking closely at admission practices and standards. | The federal education minister, Simon Birmingham, responded by saying the government had “no plans to reinstate caps” on places but he was looking closely at admission practices and standards. |
| In 2012, the Gillard government removed limits on the number of commonwealth-supported university places for domestic undergraduate courses, except medicine. | In 2012, the Gillard government removed limits on the number of commonwealth-supported university places for domestic undergraduate courses, except medicine. |
| This fuelled a 22% increase in student numbers between 2009 and 2013, according to a review commissioned by the Coalition, while the total cost of the commonwealth grant scheme increased from $4.1bn to $6.1bn over the same period. | This fuelled a 22% increase in student numbers between 2009 and 2013, according to a review commissioned by the Coalition, while the total cost of the commonwealth grant scheme increased from $4.1bn to $6.1bn over the same period. |
| The Abbott government’s education minister, Christopher Pyne, backed the demand-driven system as “Julia Gillard’s great achievement” but he also championed a separate measure to deregulate the fees that students could be charged, which was blocked twice in the Senate. | The Abbott government’s education minister, Christopher Pyne, backed the demand-driven system as “Julia Gillard’s great achievement” but he also championed a separate measure to deregulate the fees that students could be charged, which was blocked twice in the Senate. |
| Now attention is turning back towards quality and standards at universities, amid scrutiny of lax enrolment practices. | Now attention is turning back towards quality and standards at universities, amid scrutiny of lax enrolment practices. |
| Birmingham said he had asked the higher education standards panel to review university admission practices and standards, with a view to increasing transparency and helping incoming students become “uni-ready”. | Birmingham said he had asked the higher education standards panel to review university admission practices and standards, with a view to increasing transparency and helping incoming students become “uni-ready”. |
| The federal government would consult on ways “to ensure the higher education sector is sustainable while also supporting more Australians who start a course to finish and find work”. | The federal government would consult on ways “to ensure the higher education sector is sustainable while also supporting more Australians who start a course to finish and find work”. |
| “That means supporting excellence, diversity and opportunity for all students,” Birmingham said in a statement on Thursday. | “That means supporting excellence, diversity and opportunity for all students,” Birmingham said in a statement on Thursday. |
| “With record numbers of students enrolling, they need to not only be following their passions but also thinking about the career options their degree offers. Universities should also be ensuring every student is supported to finish their course so they don’t end up just being another number on an enrolment list.” | “With record numbers of students enrolling, they need to not only be following their passions but also thinking about the career options their degree offers. Universities should also be ensuring every student is supported to finish their course so they don’t end up just being another number on an enrolment list.” |
| Labor’s higher education spokesman, Kim Carr, who has long called for a focus on university completion rates and employment prospects, said he regarded enrolment caps as “unnecessary and unsophisticated”. | Labor’s higher education spokesman, Kim Carr, who has long called for a focus on university completion rates and employment prospects, said he regarded enrolment caps as “unnecessary and unsophisticated”. |
| “There are more effective ways of making universities more accountable for the spending of public money,” Carr told Guardian Australia. | “There are more effective ways of making universities more accountable for the spending of public money,” Carr told Guardian Australia. |
| Labor’s higher education policy, released in September, reaffirmed support for the demand-driven system, but included some measures that could prevent unrestricted growth. It placed an emphasis on increasing completion rates and quality, with a proposed new higher education commission ensuring universities are fulfilling labour market needs. | Labor’s higher education policy, released in September, reaffirmed support for the demand-driven system, but included some measures that could prevent unrestricted growth. It placed an emphasis on increasing completion rates and quality, with a proposed new higher education commission ensuring universities are fulfilling labour market needs. |
| Carr said on Thursday his party was committed to “raising standards within our university system and working with the universities through charters and the higher education commission to ensure that there’s a stronger correlation between entrance standards and completions and employment outcomes”. | Carr said on Thursday his party was committed to “raising standards within our university system and working with the universities through charters and the higher education commission to ensure that there’s a stronger correlation between entrance standards and completions and employment outcomes”. |
| “It’s simply not satisfactory to enrol a large number of students in teaching and nursing where they can’t get employment or where there are only short-term contracts available and a high-level churn of graduates,” he said. | “It’s simply not satisfactory to enrol a large number of students in teaching and nursing where they can’t get employment or where there are only short-term contracts available and a high-level churn of graduates,” he said. |
| “The government has come to recognise the validity of Labor’s approach by referring these matters to the standards panel, which of course is in sharp contrast to what they said when we released the policy.” | “The government has come to recognise the validity of Labor’s approach by referring these matters to the standards panel, which of course is in sharp contrast to what they said when we released the policy.” |
| Asked whether Labor’s push might prompt universities to enrol fewer students than they otherwise would have, Carr said: “I am sure they will be much more conscious of their enrolments if there’s higher attention paid to completions.” | Asked whether Labor’s push might prompt universities to enrol fewer students than they otherwise would have, Carr said: “I am sure they will be much more conscious of their enrolments if there’s higher attention paid to completions.” |
| The Coalition encountered significant political difficulties over its 2014 budget measure to reduce the public subsidy for university degrees and remove limits on the fees institutions could charge, prompting Birmingham to delay the proposed start date to allow further consultation. | The Coalition encountered significant political difficulties over its 2014 budget measure to reduce the public subsidy for university degrees and remove limits on the fees institutions could charge, prompting Birmingham to delay the proposed start date to allow further consultation. |
| But the savings remain factored into the government’s budget bottom line, apart from the impact of delaying the proposed start date from January 2016 to January 2017. | But the savings remain factored into the government’s budget bottom line, apart from the impact of delaying the proposed start date from January 2016 to January 2017. |