Nelson Double Counts Increase in Student Places
April 30 2004
The Education Minister, Dr Brendan Nelson, refers to “double counting“ in his analysis of the Australian Vice Chancellors Committee’s (AVCC) report on applications for undergraduate places at Australian universities, released on Friday. He fails to allow for the double counting in the number of new university places under his Backing Australia’s Future package.
In his press release in response to the AVCC’s figures, the Education Minister notes that “after ineligible applicants and double counting” the level of unmet demand for university places in 2004 was somewhere between 19,200 and 24,300.
He then goes on to say that the Government’ s Backing Australia’s Future package “provides more than 34,000 more places for students by 2008”, thus implying their will be more than enough places to meet unmet demand by 2008.
“While the Minister explicitly refers to “double counting” in analysing student demand, he fails to take account of his own double counting in relation to the number of new university places Backing Australia’s Future will deliver,” said National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) President, Dr Carolyn Allport.
“What Dr Nelson has failed to do is to allow for the fact that of his 34,000 so-called new places, 25,000 will involve the conversion of already existing marginally funded (over enrolled) student places to fully funded places.”
“Therefore, allowing for double counting, the net increase in government places is in fact only 9,000.”
“Furthermore, there was a total of 33,600 over enrolled students at Australian universities in 2003, of which only 25,000 will be converted to fully funded places, leaving a shortfall of 8,600 places.”
“In other words, the net increase in student places will in effect be more like 400 rather than the 34,000 claimed by the Minister. “
“The Minister’s comments today also fail to acknowledge that the level of level of unmet demand has been increasing steadily since 1998 (see Chart 1),” said Dr Allport.
“Given the fact that the 15-17 year old population is expected to increase until 2010, future levels of unmet demand will increase, further widening the gap.”
“The Government’s real agenda seems to be to offer students the opportunity to buy full-fee places at a cost of up to $100,000 per degree, by offering them the opportunity to borrow funds through FEE-HELP which attracts a 20% up-front administrative charge.” she concluded.
For information and comment:
Paul Kniest, NTEU Policy and Research Officer: 0418 170 622