The Scan Main Edition 3 May 2013 # 115

EIF “loses its buzz”

Following excoriating criticism by Phil Clark, chair of the Education Investment Fund (EIF) advisory board, that the EIF has “lost its way”, higher education minister Craig Emerson has indicated through a spokesperson  there would be a “major announcement” related to the Education Investment Fund this week.  Earlier this week, Clark said government inertia and media-driven policy had derailed the EIF, which was set up to fund large-scale, nation-building tertiary education and research infrastructure….[READ MORE]….

Federal funds for each uni student to fall

Figures released by the government show federal funding for each university student will decline over the next four years in real terms, despite previous claims it would increase even with the new efficiency dividend taken into account.  The government had argued average per-place funding would rise from $18,000 in 2013 to more than $18,100 in 2017 using today’s dollars and had even distributed a graph on social media to back its case.

But those figures include both federal funding and the student contribution.

However, it appears  the average Commonwealth contribution will decline slightly from $10,600 this year to $10,500 in 2017 in today’s dollars. The figures from Tertiary Education Minister Craig Emerson’s office show only the average student contribution will increase in real terms, from $7400 to $7600, over the same four-year period…..[READ MORE]….

Cut research red tape and break the “nexus” : Pyne

A future  Coalition government could cull the number of researchers assessed for grant money by whittling down the thousands of applicants early in the process in bid cut red tape.  In a speech at Monash University, opposition education spokesman Christopher Pyne says a Coalition government will consider introducing a preliminary “expression of interest” stage in which weaker research grant applicants would be culled before being fully assessed.  It also proposes to reduce churn by lengthening the period of more grants from three year to five years.  Pyne also proposes to encourage universities to “specialise”, with some universities encouraged to focus more on research and others to focus on teaching in a move that challenges views in the sector that research is critical to good teaching…..[READ MORE]….

Victorian TAFEs on short leash

By Special Gazettes published on 10 April, the Victorian Government promulgated new constitutions for Victoria’s 14 standalone TAFE institutes – except 4 are now no longer “TAFE” institutes….[READ MORE]….

Victorian government statement of expectations of RTOs

The Victorian government has published a “statement of expectations” of private RTOS contracted to deliver government-subsidised training under the Victorian Training Guarantee.  The government says the statement explains what is expected of contracted providers in service provision and business practice in terms of responsibilities and ethical behaviours. It also provides a framework to promote ethical day-to-day conduct and decision making says that providers are expected to:

• demonstrate a commitment to serving the public interest;
• be responsive to the needs of Government and the community;
• demonstrate accountability and transparency; and,
• demonstrate integrity and fairness.

….[READ MORE]….

Argus building site to be redeveloped

Melbourne’s distinctive but long derelict Argus building will be turned into a university campus under a $60 million redevelopment.   Melbourne Institute of Technology founder Shesh Ghale, who bought the site from La Trobe University in 2010, said MIT students would move into the building mid-2014….[READ MORE]…..

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Comment & analysis

The practical value of impractical research

Today’s eccentric can become tomorrow’s Nobel Prize winner

In a recent policy note, the Group of Eight acknowledges the value of applied research, “the more tactical, short term research intended to realise already identified market and other opportunities”.   It’s sometimes argued that, with pressures on public budgets, if governments invest specifically in research designed to produce immediately useful outcomes, it would ensure a higher return on government investment.

We witness the life enhancing outcomes of practically oriented research all the time (see Life changing  research  (1): Epilepsy and (2): Alzheimer’s).   But such research often has its origins in “curiosity – led research”, extending over many years and which began with no specific outcome in view.

Moreover,  the prospectivity of a research project to produce relatively short term applications can actually serve as an argument against substantial public funding for such a project.

 … by definition, research is the process of discovering something we do not already know. The more definite we can be about the research outcome when we start the research, the more trivial the research and the weaker the arguments for government support. …it is not the role of government to fund or perform research that business needs for itself and which does not involve a significant risk.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Academics demand cuts be reversed

1 May 2013  | A thousand Australian university professors and assistant professors are calling on the Prime Minister to reverse the latest $2.3 billion cuts to university and student funding. In an open letter to Prime Minister Gillard published in 18 newspapers around the country today, the impressive list of Australia’s top thinkers declare that the cuts “fundamentally jeopardise the future of higher education in Australia”. Jeannie Rea, National President of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) which organised the letter, said that professors from every public and private university in Australia had put their names to the open letter and more were continuing to sign it through the union’s website……[READ MORE]….

No more cuts – UA

30 April 2013 | Universities have called on the Australian Government to rule out any further cuts to universities or students, following the revelation on 30 April of a new $12 billion hit to the Federal Budget and the effective quarantining of school funding. Universities Australia chief Belinda Robinson says that since 1995 other OECD countries have, on average, grown their investment in university education and research by over 200% more than Australia, leaving Australiaranked just 25th out of 29 advanced economies in spending on universities as a percentage of GDP…..[READ MORE]…

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Schools and universities are part of the same family and share the same objectives. Strengthening one while weakening the other compromises the Government’s goal of making us a stronger and smarter nation.

- Belinda Robinson, UA

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

States urged to avoid Gonski trade-offs

30 April 2013  | The agreement between NSW and the Commonwealth governments on the Gonski education reforms may come at the expense the TAFE sector in NSW, with premier Barry O’Farrell saying the NSW government would achieve the needed $1.7 billion in savings through measures including changes to vocational education and training fees and subsidies. In its last state budget, the O’Farrell government removed $1.7 billion from education, resulting in TAFE fee rises of about 9.5%, the commercialisation of fine arts courses and the loss of about 800 jobs….[READ MORE]….

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Taking from one area to give to another does not necessarily give you a better education and training outcome>

- Jenny Lambert, ACCI

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 Comment & analysis

Anyone seen a mojo…?

While arguing for a boost to base funding, until quite recently the university sector was generally acknowledging the initiatives of the Rudd/Gillard governments in higher education, to boost participation and improve equity, providing better indexation arrangements, in renewing infrastructure and funding indirect costs of research. Then came the “MYEFO” in October last year, which cut about $1 billion in funding and “slowed” another $500 million in funding. The sector was disappointed but mainly calm. Then in January, the third last minister for higher education announced that the government had rejected the findings of its own review of base funding. The sector was taken aback and vocal in its criticism. Last month’s “contribution” of $2.3 billion to fund the Gonski reforms generated collective apopolexy in the sector. Universities Australia’s campaign for better understanding of (and funding for) the sector is likely to mutate into a campaign against the cuts. On Wednesday 8 May incoming UA chair Sandra Harding will address the National Press Club on “the future for Australia’s universities in light of the funding measures announced by the Government. What has happened to the education revolution? What would be the “worst of times” for the tertiary sector? What would the “best of times” look like? How do we produce a smarter Australia?”. Should be an interesting speech. The National Tertiary Education Union has launched its own campaign against the cuts (“Uni cuts, dumb cuts“), which included this week’s “one thousand professors” letter. Meanwhile, respected business leader and longstanding chair of the EIF Advisory Board Phil Clarke has had a very public dummy spit over the seeming political manipulation of the Education Investment Fund.

It’s a long time since, and a long from, the heady days of the Bradley Report and the higher education revolution.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________