FEDERAL GOVT. WITHOLDS ABSTUDY REVIEW
Wed 29 October 2003
The Federal government has failed to release its findings from the ABSTUDY review commissioned in late 1998. In January 2000, Coalition cuts to ABSTUDY caused the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people commencing higher education to dramatically fall by 15.2%, while the total Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student numbers fell by 8.1%.
In the year prior to ABSTUDY benefits being aligned to AUSTUDY, Indigenous students comprised 1.39% of the cohort. The changes in 2000 reduced the cohort to 1.23%, being the lowest since 1996. In 1999 Deakin University also submitted a report that showed the proposed ABSTUDY changes would disadvantage 94.3% of Indigenous students [1].
In addition, the Government was made fully aware of the affects of the changes by NTEU submissions in 2001 and 2002. There is little doubt the changes to ABSTUDY benefits significantly contributed to the decline in enrolments along with other Coalition changes to Indigenous education policy.
NTEU Indigenous Officer Joel Wright states, “The Federal Government refuses to acknowledge that these declines were a result of the ABSTUDY cuts in 2000 and has failed to release the ABSTUDY review, as it no doubt also confirms Indigenous student declines would result from the changes”. “To restore ABSTUDY to the level before the changes in 2000 would require $19.5m per annum [2], and this amount is a mere pittance in relation to the current budget surplus”, Mr Wright said.
“Yet this year, the Department of Education, Science & Trainings’ Higher Education reforms also failed to include measures to redress the ABSTUDY changes”. “The dismantling of ABSTUDY demonstrates the Coalitions Indigenous policy platform “A National Commitment. Reducing Indigenous disadvantage through practical reconciliation- recognising the family and encouraging the individual”, in real terms is a national disgrace”, Mr Wright said.
The NTEU Indigenous Tertiary Education Policy Committee (ITEPC) reiterates its call on the Federal Government to restore ABSTUDY to that before the changes in 2000, to release its findings from the ABSTUDY review commissioned in 2000 and that an inquiry be set up to investigate the full effects of the changes to ABSTUDY.
Further Information:
Joel Wright, NTEU Indigenous Officer
ph: 03 9254 1910
mob: 0408 525 492
email jwright@nteu.org.au
[1] Analysis of the Proposed Changes to ABSTUDY on Indigenous Students, Final Report, May 1999, Deakin University.
[2] Senate Employment, Workplace Relations, Small Business and Education References Committee, Inquiry into the capacity of public universities to meet Australia’s higher education needs, NTEU Indigenous Tertiary Education Policy Committee Submission, p. 13.