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The review of higher education funding will address Coalition concerns about financial responsibility, competition and the maintenance of graduate quality but could lead to higher fees and less access. By Dallas Bastian
The new minister for education, Christopher Pyne, has announced a review of the demand-driven system of university funding introduced by the Labor government in 2011, but there are concerns that its recommendations could ultimately increase student costs.
Shadow minister for higher education Senator Kim Carr said he was concerned the terms of reference allowed for the Coalition to pursue a political agenda of raising costs for students undertaking tertiary study.
The review will make recommendations for possible areas of improvement to ensure the system is fiscally responsible and supports innovation and competition in education delivery, which, according to Carr, was“ code for changing the financial basis for student contributions”.
Carr said David Kemp and Andrew
Fears review of demand-driven system may reduce access
Norton from the Grattan Institute, who will head the review, were chosen due to their long track record of supporting an increase in student fees.
“ The underlying presumption of this review is that it may well be the stalking horse for the further privatisation of the higher education system,” Carr said.
He said he was concerned this would be the way in which the Liberal party would introduce full fees for undergraduate students.
Like Carr, the president of the National Tertiary Education Union( NTEU), Jeannie Rea, is concerned the review’ s terms of reference will open the door to the reintroduction of domestic full-fee places, as well as excessive fees for certain undergraduate courses.
Carr also raised the issue of access.“ I’ m concerned any increase in student contributions will affect the number of people from poorer backgrounds who get access to university,” he said
The role of the system in increasing participation and improving access for students from low socio-economic status backgrounds and its impact on the quality of graduates will also be examined.
With the first students not due to complete a three-year Bachelor’ s degree under the system until late 2014, Regional Universities Network chair Professor Peter Lee said it was too early to review the
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graduate outcomes from the system.“ The quality of an award should be judged by the quality of the graduate,” Lee said.“ It’ s the outcomes that are important not the inputs.” The fact that students with lower ATARs are taking up courses, he said, is not a sign of a decline in standards.
“ ATARs are a rank not a score,” he said.“ They are also strongly correlated with socio-economic advantage. ATAR admission standards are an indicator of course demand, which is not necessarily the same as having the required skills and attributes to succeed at university.”
NTEU has called on the government to ensure that the ability of disadvantaged students to get access to university is central to the review.
“ The opportunity for many disadvantaged students to access university education must be safeguarded,” Rea said.
Universities Australia will work with the review team to ensure existing and future labour market needs are met and that the only relevant criterion for those with a desire to study at university is ability.
Under the demand-driven system, the number of Commonwealth-supported places has increased from 469,000 places in 2009 to an estimated 577,000 in 2013.
The review will report to Pyne by mid- February 2014. ■
4 | campusreview. com. au