Senate Report Confirms Uni Crisis - Remedies offered, implementation awaited
27 September 2001
Today's Senate Report into the future of Australia's public universities confirms what everyone but the government can see - Australia's universities cannot meet the needs of the community because of government policy and funding cuts.
"We welcome the report and its recognition of the scale of the crisis faced by public universities. It tries to start to solve the crisis. With education remaining ranked as the number one election issue by Newspoll we call on all parties to commit to fund the solutions contained in the majority report," Ted Murphy, NTEU National Assistant Secretary said.
"The report addresses key issues facing universities. It documents limited access caused by student fees, lower quality caused by government funding cuts, and bad policy since the abolition of independent advice to government.
"The Senate can see how to solve the crisis of quality and access in universities. In recommending a substantial increase in public funding to universities to address the $150 million a year shortfall in salary funding, the Senate has shown its understanding of both the causes and scale of the problem.
"Of the Inquiry's 364 submissions, 219 witnesses, 14 public hearings and 39 recommendations, the Government has supported only one recommendation - to introduce a Higher Education Ombudsman to deal with complaints. The community, staff and students will quickly lose confidence in the Ombudsman if there is no government commitment to addressing the root causes of complaints. We called for an Ombudsman and we welcome the Government's support for it, but it will fail to resolve the crisis if funding remains a mess."
"This is a Government caught between its hard-headed commitment to make students and their families pay more for education, and the knowledge that the public want quality education with strong government support. Our universities crumble while the government struggles under policy paralysis.
"Howard and Kemp believe they can dodge community concerns about education. This report raises the bar and offers hope for the future of our universities. Howard and Kemp are alone in their thinking, and this report shows that they have failed to listen." Mr Murphy concluded.
See the report at:
http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/eet_ctte/public%20uni/report/index.htm