The Australian | 22 December 2014 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Newcastle University has quit the Innovative Research Universities (IRU) group saying it would rather advocate for its own particular interests in light of proposed government funding cuts and fee deregulation. Along with other university groupings and Universities Australia, the IRU has been a vocal advocate for proposed fee deregulation. ……………………………………………………………………………………………….......…… Caroline McMillen, Newcastle’s vice-chancellor, said the university’s research intensiveness in a low socioeconmic region put pressures on her institution that were not necessarily mirrored by the IRU’s other member … [Read more...]
MYEFO budget measures
22/12/2014 by
ACPET | 22 December 2014 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… The Mid-year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO), released on 15 December, updates the economic and fiscal outlook from the budget in May. Following is a summary prepared by ACPET of savings and expenditure measures relevant to the education, employment and training sectors. ……………………………………………………………………………………………….......…… The Support for Adult Apprentices payment has been wound up, with loans being offered through the Trade Support Loans scheme as a replacement measure, the new Australian Apprenticeships Support Services will have reduced funding, down $30million over 4 year as a result of “streamlining” … [Read more...]
ACPET National Monday Update 22 December 2014
22/12/2014 by
In Focus Another year - another reform, A message from the Chair - Edition 585, 22 Dec I would like to comment on where our industry finds itself at the end of another year. This wonderfully diverse sector that we work in continues to perform, making real differences to the lives of Australians and our international guests. Despite this, the year has also produced many challenges. Media scrutiny of apparent unscrupulous operators has been a feature. We all know this is but a minor element of the sectors, not that some commentators have reported that. A tremendous advantage about an education marketplace, or any market for that matter, is that they produce innovation and … [Read more...]
Ministry reshuffle reunifies education and training…
21/12/2014 by
21 December 2014 ...and unifies industry and science ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… In a wideranging reshuffle of the Abbott ministry, education and vocational education and training have been seemingly reunified and industry and science unified. ……………………………………………………………………………………………….......…… Education minister Christopher Pyne will become minister for education and training, with VET coming from the industry portfolio to be reunified with education ( why was it ever separated?). Parliamentary secretary Simon Birmingham will become his new assistant minister, with prime minister Abbott saying he will have a key role in policy and programs relating to skills formation. … [Read more...]
Science’s top ten
21/12/2014 by
Science | 18 December 2014 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Each year, Science magazine chooses a singular scientific development as Breakthrough of the Year. This year, the Rosetta mission to "comet 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko" took the crown. This YouTube clip looks at the "top ten" scientific developments in 2014, as judged by Science. ……………………………………………………………………………………………….......…… Comet rendezvous This year's breakthrough captured the public's imagination with a series of hard-won pictures, beamed to Earth from a place beyond Mars. First: an image of a spindly, three-legged thing, framed against the blackness of space, falling toward a comet nearly as black. Would … [Read more...]
Christmas 2014
18/12/2014 by
The next regular edition of The Scan will be in early February, although we'll be posting on topical issues and a Summer Edition in early January. … [Read more...]
