AVCC's Vision for Higher Education Welcome - But Students Should Not Be Made to Pay For It.
The National Tertiary Education Union, representing over 26,000 academic and general staff in tertiary education, welcomes the AVCC vision for increased student university participation and greater university funding but expresses concern at the suggestion that students and their families should help fund this through paying higher fees.“The AVCC has made a useful contribution to the current review of higher education by providing long range targets for participation and funding so far not articulated by the Government,” Dr Carolyn Allport, NTEU President
“Australia must look to lift the level of student participation in university education. Relative to comparable nations Australia is average and if we are to be successful we need to be a world leader in encouraging our citizens into university education.
“The AVCC’s target to invest 2% of GDP in our universities would go a long way to ensuring Australia’s social and economic future.
“The suggestion that as part of funding the AVCC’s vision universities be allowed to set higher fees and enrol more full fee paying students is not, however, useful. We need a broad discussion about funding which recognises the benefits flowing to those outside universities, including business, the community and government.
“The current inadequacies in university funding are not the fault of students and their families paying too little but the lack of Government commitment to increase public funding to higher education.
“Australian universities are already amongst the most heavily dependent on private income in the western world. Australian students and their families are already paying very high fees by international standards. The answer is not to make them to pay even more.
“The proposal to provide additional funding to universities to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds is also welcome. It must be recognised that there are additional costs in assisting students without a background in university education and the government should encourage universities to fulfil their responsibility to the community by providing the necessary funding.”
Further information and comment:
Dr Carolyn Allport
National President
Tel 03 9254 1910
Mobile 0419 349 064
Simon Kent
Policy and Research Officer
Tel 03 9254 1910
Mobile 0408 520 016