policy & reform
campusreview.com.au
Budget bummer
Universities say federal budget
shows a dangerous complacency
towards higher education.
By Dallas Bastian
T
he government is touting a
$7.1 billion surplus in its latest budget
but universities aren’t celebrating.
Universities Australia said the surplus was
a missed opportunity to reverse cuts to
university funding.
Chief executive Catriona Jackson said:
“It makes no sense to maintain cuts to
student places – which slice deeper every
year. This sends us backwards, shutting
talented Australians out of the education
they deserve.”
While Go8 chief executive Vicki
Thomson applauded commitment to the
$5 billion 10-year investment plan for the
Medical Research Future Fund, she added:
“The budget has again failed to address
the undisputable fact that funding for the
nation’s research effort has continued
to decline.
“Given recent experience, it seems that
in budget terms, the higher education
research sector is the first to get cut and
the last to see long-term, sustainable
investment. This reflects an attitude of
dangerous complacency towards a sector
that is a key driver of Australia’s economy.”
Some cash that the government
committed to for the sector included
$276.5 million over five years to support
Indigenous students to undertake and
complete study and $3.4 million to
12
encourage more women into STEM
education and careers.
It also pledged $93.7 million over
four years for new Destination Australia
scholarships. The minister for education,
Dan Tehan, said the program will provide
up to 4720 scholarships of up to $15,000
per year for domestic and international
students to study at a regional university
or vocational education provider.
But Universities Australia noted that
it is being funded by closing down the
Endeavour Leadership Program, “which
supported international engagement for
researchers and students”.
VET/TAFE
TAFE Directors Australia said the
government is to be congratulated for
“setting out a new direction for VET
and focusing on the future” through its
skills package.
The government announced it would
invest over $525 million in the VET sector.
As part of that package, it will establish a
National Skills Commission with the aim of
providing consistent national leadership.
But TDA said this move must not bring
about further cuts in funding for training.
Chief executive Craig Robertson said:
“The government is already out of touch
with costs of training in the loan limits it
places on VET Student Loans, which have
not been adjusted in this budget.”
The Australian Education Union said
it was “an insult to education” that there
was “no reversal of the $3 billion [the
government] has cut from VET since
elected”, and was disappointed that
the budget papers lacked a single mention
of TAFE.
STUDENTS
The government committed to extending
the Unique Student Identifier to all higher
education and developing a centralised
repository for students’ education and
training records.
But Council of Australian Postgraduate
Associations national president Natasha
Abrahams said the government failed
to adopt a single request made by
postgraduate students.
“Students are suffering, with many
unable to afford rent and food,” Abrahams
said. “There is also a high prevalence
of mental health issues among the
student population. However, this budget
provides no relief. There have been no
improvements to welfare. There is nothing
for students living in poverty.”
INDIVIDUAL UNIVERSITIES
While the sector as a whole might not be
celebrating the budget, some universities
can mark down wins.
Among the bigger spends, James
Cook University got $60 million for
the Cairns Tropical Enterprise Centre,
while $25 million went to both Murdoch
University’s Harry Butler Environmental
Education Centre “to grow understanding
of the positive relationship between
economic development and environmental
sustainability”, and Monash University and
the University of Melbourne to establish a
coasts, environment and climate science
research and education centre. ■