Not enough staff + more students = quality at risk
29 May 2001
Figures released today by the Australian Vice-Chancellors\' Committee (AVCC) confirm the continuing deterioration in student to staff ratios in Australian universities. The figures reveal a 3% increase between 1999 and 2000, with the student to teaching staff ratio now standing at 18.84 to 1. The figures also show:
a 20% increase in the ratio in the four years of the Howard Government (from 15.68 in 1996 to 18.84)
a 40% increase in the ratio in the last 11 years (up from 13.50 in 1989)
increases in the student to teaching staff ratio at 32 institutions and slight decreases at 9 between 1999 and 2000
Student numbers (particularly overseas and postgraduate full fee payers) continue to outstrip growth in staff numbers. Although an additional 1,401 Full Time Equivalent positions were created in 2000, 1,090 (or 78%) of these were casual appointments. 12 institutions suffered net job losses.
\"The continuing climb in student to staff ratios reflects the increased pressures placed on university staff to do more with less\", Dr Carolyn Allport, NTEU President said. \"The inability of our universities to employ sufficient staff to meet the growing needs of students is compromising the attention which staff can devote to students. There simply isn\'t enough time to give students the individual tuition and advice that was once a standard part of a university education. The increasing reliance on casual staff compounds this problem, with these staff less available to students and less able to develop their own academic careers.
\"The Howard Government has presided over the steepest increase in student to staff ratios in Australia\'s history [see graph attached]. This is a direct result of the cuts to government funding and the inadequacy of private funding in keeping pace with the real increases in costs to universities.
\"These figures add to the mountain of evidence which shows that the government must increase public funding immediately to save the quality of Australia\'s universities. Time is almost up. The policies prepared for this year\'s election must contain equitable solutions to the inadequate funding of our universities in order to allow them to provide quality education.\"