The Scan Early Edition 6 August 2013

# 132

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Report recommends reducing regulatory burden

5 August 2013 |  On the cusp of going into caretaker mode, pending the election, the Commonwealth government has released the report of a review examining how red tape can be reduced for universities while also supporting the quality and excellence of Australia’s world class university system. Releasing the report, minister for higher education Kim Carr noted that while the report supports the continuing role of the national regulator – the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) – it also finds that the burden of higher education regulation on universities can be reduced without compromising quality standards….[READ MORE]…….

TDA aims to unleash potential

5 August 2013 | Unleashing our Potential will be the key theme for Federal election 2013 policy, being launched progressively by TAFE Directors Australia. TDA has released three Policy Position Papers, on funding, pathways and Commonwealth engagement in TAFE.. The TDA Policy Position Papers will continue throughout the Federal election 2013 campaign. TDA says their purpose is to inform TAFE directors and executives on options for technical and further education as a dynamic sector for tertiary education policy, a key issue for the major and minority parties for the Election 2013 Campaign….[READ MORE]……

NTEU election campaign kicks off

5 August 2013 |  With the announcement of the election for 7 September, the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) has kicked off its $1 million election campaign to directed at maintaining the Greens’ balance of power in the Senate and the election of selected lower house candidates who commit to the union’s election priorities. NTEU support for selected House of Representatives campaigns is likely to be more contentious than its general Senate campaign….[READ MORE]…..

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Govt defers tax cap

2 August 2013 | As part of an economic statement released on 2 August, the Australian Government has announced the deferral until 2015 of the introduction of a cap of $2000 pa on the tax deductibility of self-education expenses . The tertiary education and training sector has been at the forefront of opposition to the cap, with Universities Australia having recently organised an “alliance” against the cap…..[READ MORE]…..

NMIT to buy Prahran campus

2 August 2013 | Swinburne University and the Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE (NMIT) have signed a memorandum of understanding for NMIT to buy Swinburne’s Prahran campus in inner Melbourne in a deal that has the “in principle” support of the Victorian government. Programs at the NMIT Prahran campus would focus on training in the creative industries and include courses in design, professional writing and editing, digital media, music, theatre arts, live production theatre and events (technical operations), sound production and screen and media. A number of non-arts vocational programs including business, hairdressing, beauty, events, and tourism would also be delivered at Prahran. The government is examining the feasibility of also establishing a secondary school on part of the campus. Should the deal be signed off, NMIT proposes to begin delivering both VET and higher education programs at the campus from 2014…..[READ MORE]…..

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Transitions

Holmesglen’s new chief announced

2 August 2013 | The Board of Holmesglen Institute has announced the appointment of Mary Faraone as the Institute’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – and only the second in its history. Holmesglen Chair Peter Lewinsky said Ms Faraone brings extensive sector experience and skills as well as great potential to the role. As the Institute’s current Executive Director Educational Development & Design), she also brings stability to the Institute as it enters a new phase in its history…..[READ MORE]…..

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Comment & analysis

Time to burst the uni-centric bubble

Claire Field, CEO of the private provider peak organisation, and Martin Riordan, CEO of the public TAFE peak organisation, form a unity ticket to argue the case for less “uni-centric” higher education policies and regulatory practices.   They might not have been too thrilled with the recommendations of the review of red tape, which imply that higher education providers with well established records of quality provision might have a lighter touch regulatory regime than other providers.  You would read this as meaning “universities”  – and not all universities at that.  This article was first published in The Australian on 3 August 2013.

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There are 130 non-university higher education providers in Australia, including private colleges and 23 TAFE institutes.  Recent research by the Grattan Institute found non-university providers deliver qualifications to 59,000 students a year.

Trends for non-university providers delivering specialised degrees have been keenly watched by industry and have been particularly welcomed by the business sector here and in the many Asia Pacific countries involved in international education.

Yet articles such as the one penned by Greg Craven and Glyn Davis (HES, July 3) have made less than complimentary statements about non-university higher education providers, such as: “In more than 160 years no public university has ever failed, but a series of smaller private higher education providers has gone belly-up, damaging the national brand. If there is risk it is found in the competitive private market”.

There are a number of factual errors in this claim that deserve clarification.

While it is true that a number of small private providers have ceased to trade over the past few years – all but one voluntarily – the impact on students has been minimal and there has been no reported damage to the national brand. This is because the majority of private providers subscribe to one of two tuition assurance schemes offered by the major peak bodies

….rather than focus on a university-centric approach that seeks to further embed the unique heritage of protection of universities….it would be more productive to see alternative ways that a future government might unwind current restrictive trade practices, and align higher education with the Bradley review’s market-driven approach.

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Life & stuff

Election 2013:  Policy & Politics

With the 2013  Federal Election  now set for Saturday 7 September 2013, The Scan will be highlighting policy announcements and debate relevant to the tertiary sector.  Just as in 2010, we don’t expect there will be a lot:

• Labor in office has a largely commendable record but has cut $4 billion out of higher education over the last couple of years
• the Coalition in Opposition has said be happy with what you’ve got
• the Greens, who could hold a pivotal position, oppose cuts and support better funding arrangements ans so have attracted the support of the National Tertiary Education Union.

The Scan will draw attention to issues of broader interest, drawing from what we consider to be reasonable, evidence-based analysis.

Despite the apparent vacuity of contemporary political debate, there’s no reason to despair: there will be more and better analysis available to voters in this election than ever before to inform them.

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Policy in the Pub

What’s really happened under reforms to VET in Victoria

Tue 6 Aug 2013, 4:00pm to 6:00pm (Melbourne)

• Nick Chiam, Director of Tertiary Education Policy, Department of Higher Education and Skills
• Bruce McKenzie, CEO, Holmesglen TAFE
• Claire Field, CEO, ACPET