UNIVERSITY STAFF JOIN STUDENTS IN NATIONWIDE PROTESTS
10th April 2003
University staff will today join thousands of students in a National Day of Action organised by the National Union of Students in the lead-up to the release of Education Minister Dr Brendan Nelson’s package of policy changes for Australia’s higher education sector.
“University staff strongly support today’s protests because all of the indications are that it will be students and their families who will be expected to make up the short-fall in government funding through the introduction of higher fees and charges,” said National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) President Dr Carolyn Allport.
“This includes the introduction of reforms that would allow universities to charge top-up fees of 25% over and above the current level of HECS and an increase in domestic full fee paying places.”
Research by the NTEU and data published by the Education Minister’s own Department show that Australian students already contribute 40% to the cost of their university education. This is amongst the highest in the world, with only Korean, Japanese and students in America’s private universities paying more.
“Since the Howard Government came to office real funding for government subsidised student places in higher education has fallen by some $1,200 per student on average and students are paying an additional $1,700 for these places,” said Dr Allport.
“While Minister Nelson may have correctly diagnosed the major problems facing universities, in particular that the current funding arrangements are unsustainable, all the indications are he is about to prescribe exactly the wrong treatment, which will make the patient’s condition worse not better.”
“The burgeoning HECS debts of future generations of graduates will be a continual reminder that it was Dr Nelson’s review that resulted in higher fees and charges, pushing up their contributions to 50%.”
“If the Minister proceeds down this path he is likely to be remembered as Dr 50%.”
NTEU calls on the Government to recognise that it is public investment in Australia’s public universities that is needed, not a policy that shifts the funding burden from the Government to students and their families.”
For information and comment:
Andrew Nette,
NTEU Policy and Research Coordinator
03 9254 1910 or 0438026277