MUCH TO SUPPORT IN Go8 PAPER – BUT SERIOUS QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROPOSED FUNDING MODEL
6 June 2007
The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) supports much of the policy discussion paper released by the Group of Eight (Go8) universities today, but has serious questions about the suggested funding model and the implications this could have for students and non-Go8 universities.
Dr Carolyn Allport, NTEU President said:
“As a big-picture contribution to the future of higher education, we find much to support in the Go8’s paper, including the recommendations aimed at increasing national investment in university research and the proposal to introduce an independent Australian Tertiary Education Investment Commission.
We would hope that the establishment of the Commission, along the lines of that proposed in the Go8’s paper, will provide greater protection for university independence and academic freedom than is the currently the case and provide real assistance to institutions to pursue their various missions.
At the same time, NTEU has a number of serious questions about the recommended funding and fee model, particularly in relation to the balance of public and private investment in higher education.
Embedded in the model is the question of whether the proposals would usher in a fully deregulated regime and what limits or controls there will be on institutions to charge fees.
These questions include:
• Whether the model will result in higher university fees for students.
• Whether the number of Australian Higher Education Scholarships would match the existing number of Commonwealth supported student places and if not, what the implications are for those students that do not get a scholarship.
• The implications of the suggestion made in the Go8 paper that scholarship holders should be free to use their scholarships at any higher education course at any accredited university or higher education institution.
• The ability of institutions, particularly smaller metropolitan and regional universities, to compete for scholarship students.
• What impact the proposed model would have for the funding stability of universities.
The Union will be seeking answers to all these questions as part of examining all the proposals put forward in the Go8 paper.”
For information and comment:
Dr Carolyn Allport, NTEU President: 0419 349 064
Andrew Nette, NTEU Policy and Research Coordinator: 03 9254 1910 or 0438 026 277