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THE PUBLIC-PRIVATE BENEFIT Barney Glover , vice-chancellor and president , University of Western Sydney
The decision by the Go8 no longer to support the discussions around reform and compromise between the government , cross-benchers and other interested stakeholders – including vice-chancellors in the sector – is a disappointing move .
It ’ s important that we all stay engaged – at what is a critical moment in higher education in this country – to discuss sustainable funding options . Without a doubt , one of those options has to be consideration of the reform agenda the Commonwealth put forward .
We need to consider the full range of proposals and compromises , including the Chapman-Dawkins [ proposal ] and what that might mean . It ’ s only through a detailed discussion that we ’ re going to be able to find our way through .
But we do need , in a more general sense in this country at the moment , [ after ] what ’ s occurred over the past 12 months , a robust evidence-based discussion in relation to sustainable funding for higher education .
Major reform decisions need to be made in full awareness of the public-private benefit that can be drawn from higher education . We have to realise that without consideration of the private benefit and the public investment arguments , we won ’ t be able to develop a sustainable funding model for the sector .
I think both sides of the political spectrum need to engage in that . We need also to ensure that the great cornerstones of higher education in this country remain supported .
One of those is the demand-driven system . I think it ’ s important that Labor in particular reaffirm their support for what was a major generational policy initiative of the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd era . We need to hear Labor reaffirm [ at the federal level ] that this is an important policy position and one that needs to be maintained .
[ Another great cornerstone ] we need to see bipartisan support for is income-contingent loans . The HELP system has served us so well in supporting access to higher education . [ These ] two important cornerstones need to be reaffirmed and we need to have a very open discussion around options for sustainable funding . I don ’ t think any sector or any part of the sector should pull back from that consideration or fail to consider in adequate detail the benefits and challenges of any particular funding proposal .
Add some new ideas first Conor King , executive director , Innovative Research Universities
The government ’ s failure to pass its higher education package shows we now need to explore options for the future openly . There exists a need for greater understanding of how university funding is allocated , how much students should contribute and how fees would be used if [ they ] were to change . The government should not put forward deregulation legislation in its current form following the 2015 budget .
Instead , the IRU supports a higher education discussion to the end of 2015 . Solutions need to be debated that would :
• substantially alter the current settings in a way that could be sustained for a decade or more
• complete open access to higher education , the fundamental change put in place since 2009 , by incorporating sub-bachelor programs and including all registered higher education providers
• give universities and other providers a means to generate the needed additional revenue
• make best use of government investment within overall fiscal constraints .
As part of the solution , the IRU supports further investigation of the Phillips-Chapman proposal to reduce government funding should universities and other funded providers be permitted to raise fees above current levels . This proposal , in effect , means tests universities by the fees they raise . There are many issues that need careful consideration in this model , too , but on balance the IRU considers it one that should be explored in more depth .
The government should wait until this process is complete before articulating a new package of changes .
It ’ s an equity issue Adrian McComb , chief executive , Council of Private Higher Education
We were disappointed , of course , [ when the ] higher education reform bill was defeated , but we appreciate that Pyne is pressing ahead again with the hopeful introduction of the bill in June .
We ’ ve applauded the efforts to try and get it through . This reform is vital for all Australian students . This bill is about the students , not about protection of a particular type of institution , and we get a bit fed up with it always being considered to be about universities .
Private provider students are discriminated against in the current environment . They pay a surcharge of 25 per cent on their loan fee , and they don ’ t receive any commonwealth support , yet the contribution they make as graduates in our society has to be the same as graduates that come from the public sector . We see it as just an equity issue . We ’ re seeking equitable treatment of students .
We think there was an amazing scare campaign mounted around $ 100,000 degrees , and that has tipped the balance of public opinion . There had been additional proposals made to Senate inquiries about the range of ways of restraining institutions from charging excess fees , and some of those schemes need to be better explored as they will provide a way forward .
From our meetings with the independent Senators , I don ’ t discern any of them are seeking anything except a good outcome for higher education . They ’ ve been really struggling to see that agenda pursued . No one else has come up with any plans that will enable the industry to tackle the challenges it faces .
It ’ s easy to criticise the process with 20 / 20 hindsight . It ’ s always going to be hard to bring in deregulation . We think a market can be created . Disappointed to see that the places – 80,000 places for sub-degrees and pathways diplomas – will not be proceeding at the moment . This is an important development . [ These places would ] help a whole lot of students , so there is really too much at stake for this to be the end of any chance of change . We look forward to revised legislation being introduced in the winter session . n
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