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Dawkins seeks bipartisanship
Tanya Plibersek and Bill Shorten. Photo: AAP Image / Mick Tsikas
The former education minister who established the HECS-loan system says the parties need to work together on higher-education policy, so its quality isn’ t undermined by deals in the Senate.
A former politician hailed as a father of Australia’ s current tertiary-education system has called on the federal government and the opposition to work together in reforming higher education.
Former federal treasurer and education minister John Dawkins said public bickering amongst politicians about higher education is largely pointless, as such debate rarely influences voter behaviour.
“ While we in higher education get very excited about policy changes, I don’ t think it changes anything in voterland,” Dawkins said.
He said the Coalition’ s and Labor’ s higher-education policies aren’ t all that different, and urged the two parties to co-operate, otherwise any policy change would be warped by cross-bench deals in the Senate.
“ We’ ve got to ensure that as we go forward in developing sensible public policy we keep a focus on the quality of the policy and not leave it to some kind of deal-making in the Senate; amongst some people, you would have to explain [ to them ] what higher education was before you got to talk to them about the intricacies of the policy,” Dawkins argued.
Dawkins held several portfolios during the Hawke government, including that of education minister. In 1989, Dawkins established the HECS student-loan system and created the regulatory framework that surrounds higher education today. He said there should be a degree of flexibility for universities.
Federal education minister Simon Birmingham and his Labor counterpart, Tanya Plibersek, have flagged what their parties would like to do with higher-education policy. Both politicians said they see higher education as a merit good, though the opposition is concerned with maintaining equitable access, while the federal government sees graduate employability and financial sustainability as its priority.
Dawkins is facing legal action over his role in Vocation, a failed private education provider. ■
DeakinDigital listens to students’ voices to catch those who use ringers for their online assessments.
DeakinDigital has rolled out a voice-certification system, similar to those used in banks and in government, as part of an effort to stop cheats.
The online tertiary educator is using
Voices cheat but can’ t lie
ArmorVox voice verification software from security technology company Auraya Systems. DeakinDigital students now have to use their voice to register with, and login into, the student portal.
When students are conducting online interviews with assessors to demonstrate they have met standards to receive their qualifications, ArmorVox will verify that the student’ s voice is coming from the person who originally registered with the student portal. The voice profile is continuously updated to cater for changes in a person’ s voice.
Michael Tan, DeakinDigital chief technology officer, said using this software isn’ t a reactive move on the part of his organisation. Rather, it’ s part of an effort to prevent cheating happening in the first place.
“ This is purely a proactive measure,” Tan said.
Dr Clive Summerfield, Auraya Systems chief executive and founder, said ArmorVox, which costs about $ 1 per student to implement, won’ t be confused by sudden changes in a student’ s voice, such as those caused by a cold or flu. Summerfield, who set up a voice biometrics centre at the University of Canberra, said that’ s because such changes are superficial.
“ Colds and sore throats don’ t necessarily change your underlying voice characteristics that much,” Summerfield explained.“ What ArmorVox does is analyse, in technical terms, the acoustic transfer characteristics of your vocal tracts, which are controlled largely by your tongue, your lips and your vellum.”
Anti-cheating software for educational institutions is big business. The University of Melbourne is trialling Cadmus, a keystroke detection system intended to catch students who submit ghost-written essays. ■
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