______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Skills reform a "shemozzle of a dog's breakfast"... 24 July 2014 | Skills reform in Australia is an “absolute shemozzle” and is jeopardising a world-class vocational education and training system, says Jeff Gunningham, recently retired chief executive of TAFE South Australia. But the apparent troubles besetting TAFE are the invention of a “misinformed media”, according to the Victorian minister. Gunningham told the Victorian TAFE Association conference that bureaucratic bungling and an obsession with the bottom line is degrading … [Read more...]
Torrens University officially launched
30/07/2014 by
Torrens University | 24 July 2014 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Former US President Bill Clinton has officially launched the private Torrens University, which accepted its first students this year. Clinton is the Honorary Chancellor of the global Laureate Universities International, to which Torrens belongs. Clinton told a gathering in Adelaide: We know that networks of co-operation work better than geniuses acting alone or groups bent on destroying each other. You respect and take advantage of differences while believing that your common humanity matters more. The future of the 21st century, despite all these problems, should be the most … [Read more...]
ACER Higher Education Update July 2014
30/07/2014 by
As Australian higher education institutions begin second semester and the new academic year fast approaches elsewhere, the attention of educators is firmly on the common goal of improving learning and teaching in higher education for a positive impact on students today and into the future. This edition of Higher Education Update explores a number of different areas of work in which ACER research is contributing to this goal. Articles span the exploration of work integrated learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines; university completion for disadvantaged students; improving our understanding of the … [Read more...]
Navitas announces four global charity partnerships
30/07/2014 by
Navitas | 27 June 2014 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Private global education provider Navitas has announced four education focused charitable partnerships to support education and learning across Australia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Cambodia and Afghanistan. These projects are funded via the Navitas Education Trust (NET), a vehicle for Navitas as a company to support charitable organisations and activities,to which Navitas contributes a set amount each year. A proportion is used to fund education based initiatives developed in partnership with charities while the remainder is invested to generate interest for future use. The first project is … [Read more...]
Navitas steadies
29/07/2014 by
The Age | 28 July 2014 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… The chief executive and founder of education group Navitas says it’s highly unlikely there will be any nasty surprises among the 25 other university partners for which the company runs pathways colleges as a bridge to university education, after its dumping by Macquarie University. ……………………………………………………………………………………………….......… Rod Jones, who co-founded Navitas in 1994 and led it through an ASX listing in 2004, says he doesn’t harbour any grudges toward Macquarie University after it made the surprise decision three weeks ago to end an 18-year arrangement, making it the first university to not renew an existing … [Read more...]
More students in higher ed, but it’s no more representative
29/07/2014 by
The Conversation | 28 July 2014 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Tim Pitman of the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education analyses the latest data on equity participation in higher education. While participation by students in all equity groups has certainly improved in raw numbers, all groups remain heavily under-represented. For example, participation by Indigenous people is about half their proportion in the population and for low SES people about two-thirds. ……………………………………………………………………………………………….......… The 2013 student data has been released, which includes information on access for groups of students under-represented in … [Read more...]
Vicki Thomson to head Go8 secretariat
29/07/2014 by
Group of Eight | 29 July 2014 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… The Group of Eight (Go8) has appointed Ms Vicki Thomson as its Executive Director to succeed Mike Gallagher, who is stepping down after seven years in the job. ……………………………………………………………………………………………….......… Ms Thomson comes to the role after more than a decade leading the Australian Technology Network (ATN) of Universities. Ms Thomson is also a member of the Australia China Council Board and the New Colombo Plan Reference Group. The Go8 Chair and ANU Vice Chancellor, Professor Ian Young AO, says that the appointment of Ms Thomson will further strengthen collaboration on all fronts between Australia’s … [Read more...]
