Higher Education Quality Debate Ignores New Figures Showing Increased Student to Staff Ratios
The current debate about improving the teaching and learning environment in universities should address new figures showing student to teaching staff ratios have increased by 38.6% in the last 8 years, climbing from 14.3 to 1 in 1993 to 19.9 to 1 in 2001 (see graph attached).“As these figures show, student to teaching staff ratios are at unprecedented levels,” said Dr Carolyn Allport, NTEU President.
“At the same time, however, the discussion paper on quality teaching released by Education Minister Brendan Nelson almost completely ignores this problem and pushes instead the ridiculous view that that class sizes don’t matter.
“The silence on these most recent figures by many of the key players in the higher education debate has been deafening.
“Lack of funding for core teaching has lead to unprecedented increases in student to staff ratios and will compromise the reputation of Australian universities if the trend is not reversed.
The new student to staff ratio figures were released on Monday on the Australian Vice-Chancellor’s Committee website (http://www.avcc.edu.au).
The rise in the student to staff ratio has been caused by continually rising student numbers, mainly international students, while staff numbers remained constant.
“The continual rise in the student to staff ratio is completely unsustainable. There are already plenty of examples of tutorials looking more like lectures, class contact time being cut and the reduced ability of staff to give individual attention to their students.
“Staff want to provide individual attention to their students and assist them to achieve their full potential, but the decline in resources is compromising quality.
“Unless there is a significant increase in funding to universities the current trend of steeply increasing student to staff ratios will continue. Universities need more resources to maintain their reputation for quality teaching and these funds shouldn’t come from even higher student fees.”
Further information and comment
Dr Carolyn Allport
National President
Tel 03 9254 1910 Tel 03 9254 1910
Mob 0419 349 064 Mob 0408 520 016
Simon Kent
Policy and Research Officer
Tel 03 9254 1910
Mob 0408 520 016