31 October 2014 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… NCVER has released four infographics that provide an overview of publicly-funded training based on NCVER’s main data collections: • Students and courses – including key findings from Young people in education and training • Apprentices & trainees • VET finance • VET outcomes – drawing key findings from Student outcomes and Employers’ use and views of the VET system. For more information go to www.ncver.edu.au. ……………………………………………………………………………………………….......… Students and courses This infographic provides a snapshot of Australia’s publicly funded vocational education and training sector. It presents … [Read more...]
The Scan | Edition # 164 | 31 October 2014
31/10/2014 by
Labor's calculator of doom 31 October 2014 | As part of its growing campaign against the Abbott government’s deregulation of university fees, Labor has launched its own “calculator of doom” which shows that in a “best case” scenario in which universities simply raise fees to cover proposed funding cuts, female nurses and teachers could face cost increases of about 60% once interest repayments are included. Under the best case scenario, a female nurse would end up repaying $32,245 for her three-year degree over nine years, up 66% from $19,410 under current arrangements. If prices rose to international student levels she would eventually repay $56,643 over almost 15 years. A male … [Read more...]
The Scan’s top ten reads – October 2014
31/10/2014 by
31 October 2014 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… In October The Scan published 47 posts, considerably less than usual, and only published 2 editions, rather than the 4-5 in a usual month. Early in October, we suffered what seemed to be a catastrophic ICT event , which turned out merely to be a bit of a disaster but limited activity (nothing to do with viruses and worms!). As noted last month Scan readers seem to be drawn to a whiff of controversy and the runaway controversy in October was the regulatory travails of the ASX-listed training provider Vocation (and which seem to have some way to run yet). University fee deregulation featured highly, with advocates and opponents … [Read more...]
Senate inquiry into uni fee deregulation
31/10/2014 by
31 October 2014 "Pass higher education bill with amendments" ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… The Senate inquiry into the government’s proposed suite of changes to higher education has now reported. The committee came up with five recommendations, some of which were foreshadowed by Education Minister Christopher Pyne and by media reports but which Pyne has since discounted. Gwilym Croucher summarises the report and the issues that confront the crossbenchers who will decide the outcome. ……………………………………………………………………………………………….......…… What does the report say? The committee, chaired by Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie, recommends that the bill be passed, but in … [Read more...]
Labor’s calculator of doom
31/10/2014 by
The Australian | 31 October 2014 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… As part of its growing campaign against the Abbott government’s deregulation of university fees, Labor has launched its own “calculator of doom” which shows that in a “best case” scenario in which universities simply raise fees to cover proposed funding cuts, female nurses and teachers could face cost increases of about 60% once interest repayments are included. ……………………………………………………………………………………………….......…… Under the best case scenario, a female nurse would end up repaying $32,245 for her three-year degree over nine years, up 66% from $19,410 under current arrangements. If prices rose to international … [Read more...]
Uni fee deregulation will result in choice and value?
31/10/2014 by
31 October 2014 Don't hold your breath, says Schwartz ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Steven Schwartz was vice-chancellor of Macquarie University from 2006 to 2012 and is currently director of the Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. Interestingly he is an academic advisor to Centre for Independent Studies, libertarian thinktank "actively engaged in supporting a free enterprise economy and a free society under limited government where individuals can prosper and fully develop their talents". With this background, you’d think Schwartz would be a natural proponent of university fee deregulation. You’d think wrong . In this opinion piece published in The … [Read more...]
Of no fixed address
30/10/2014 by
30 October 2014 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Ferouz Myuddin, born in Brisbane's Mater Hospital in November 2013 after his mother Latifar, an asylum seeker, was flown in from detention on Nauru because she needed a Caesarean section, has been deemed by Federal Court judge Michael Jarrett to be an "unauthorised maritime arrival", and therefore cannot apply for the visa under current laws. ……………………………………………………………………………………………….......…… The family arrived at Christmas Island in September 2013, having fled Myanmar citing persecution for being part of the Muslim Rohingyar minority. Much of Judge Jarrett's ruling examined the concept of how baby Ferouz "entered … [Read more...]
