POLICY & REFORM
Another year
in the books
We ask industry leaders what mattered
over the last 12 months and what’s at
stake for the sector in the year ahead.
By James Wells and Amie Larter
I
mproved graduation outcomes, funding clarity and the upcoming
election are top of mind for industry leaders heading into 2016.
Campus Review spoke to a policy expert, a vice-chancellor, the
head of the National Tertiary Education Union, a leader of medical
students and the chief executive of TAFE Directors Australia, for a wrap
of the year that was and their predictions for what’s next.
ANDREW NORTON
GRATTAN INSTITUTE HIGHER
EDUCATION PROGRAM DIRECTOR
‘PEOPLE HAVE SNIFFED EXTRA
MONEY’
Andrew Norton, Grattan Institute’s higher
education program director, says the change
in prime minister and education minister
were the key developments for the sector in 2015.
“It removed the blockage that had developed around funding on
the teaching and learning side, and I think changed the direction of
the development on the research side to energise the emphasis on
innovation,” he says. “I think we are, after a period when not much
was happening, finishing the year with quite a few possibilities for
change next year.”
Norton warns, however, that there is a danger “expectations have
gone from very low to possibly too high”.
“My main concern is with all the talk that there will be large
amounts of money coming to the sector for innovation. Whereas,
I think it’s more likely that the existing amounts of money will have
changed incentives attached to them.
“I think people have sniffed extra money, and I think the reality of
the budget situation is that’s probably wishful thinking.”
Norton says the budget will be the initial challenge for 2016.
“… The government will certainly try to look for some savings in
this portfolio, so trying to get the most sensible ones will be the [first]
challenge. I would suggest they should be around the loan scheme.
Then, I think there’s getting the research funding policy right, and
making some progress towards a new system of setting per-student
funding rates.
“I think the government at least needs an outline by the election
next year so that Labor can’t run on the $100,000-degree
campaign again.”
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