Higher Education
ALP releases higher education policy
The ALP has released it's higher education policy entitled: Aim Higher: Learning, Training and Better Jobs for More Australians.
Below is an overview. Go to http://www.alp.org.au/ for the full policy.
More Australians with a TAFE or university qualification means more Australians in good jobs and higher living standards for everyone.
But under the Howard Government, too many talented Australians are being turned away from TAFE and university because there are not enough funded places.
People with lower marks are able to buy their way in to university if they can afford to pay full fees as high as $150,000. Good students without finance miss out.
Students who do get a university place struggle to make ends meet under mounting financial pressure including the threat of still higher HECS fees. The quality of university and vocational education is being compromised by ballooning student-to-staff ratios and inadequate support and facilities.
Our university system is in crisis because of Howard Government attacks.
The Howard Government's simplistic response is to force students and their families to pay more.
Labor believes that Australia's university system needs vision, investment and long-term reform--not just a short-term revenue measure to increase student contributions.
Aim Higher will create more opportunities for people to get a university or TAFE qualification and provide the incentives for our universities to excel in the twenty-first century.
Labor will target key areas of skills shortage like teaching and nursing, relieve the financial burden on students and restore achievement as the only criteria for access to university.
Labor will:
Expand the opportunities to get a TAFE or university qualification create 21,660 new, (full and part-time) commencing university places each year by 2008 to be distributed throughout Australia create 20,000 new, (full and part-time) commencing TAFE places each year by 2008 to be distributed throughout Australia
provide $35 million to support secondary school students from disadvantaged backgrounds to progress to university or TAFE.
Ensure fair access to affordable tertiary education
no increased Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) fees and no deregulation of HECS fees no introduction of a real rate of interest on loans for postgraduate courses
abolish full fees for all new domestic undergraduate students.
Relieve the financial burden on students and new graduates
extend rent assistance to Austudy recipients
reduce the age of independence for students on Youth Allowance to 24 in 2005 and 23 in 2007 increase the HECS repayment threshold to $35,000 per annum in 2004.
Address national skills shortages
reduce HECS fees for science and mathematics students by $1,600 per annum fund an additional 3,125 new (full and part-time) undergraduate nursing places by 2008; this will start in 2004 with 570 new, (full and part-time) commencing nursing places and will increase from 2005 to 1,100 new, (full and part-time) commencing places each year create 500 additional new full-time HECS funded postgraduate nursing places in areas of specialisation from 2005 provide $43.4 million extra funding for clinical training for undergraduate nurses fund an additional 1,404 bonded medical places by 2009 including 234 bonded medical places each year from 2004 fund an extra 4,600 new, (full and part-time) teacher education places by 2008; this will start in 2004 with 860 new, (full and part-time) commencing teaching places and will increase from 2005 to 1,700 new, (full and part-time) commencing places each year create 500 additional new full-time HECS funded postgraduate teacher education places in areas of specialisation and professional development from 2005
provide an additional $86 million over three years from 2005 to increase the quality of teacher education including meeting the costs of classroom teacher training
provide $43.9 million to establish 300 three year post-doctoral fellowships provide $9 million to establish a new Multimedia Design and Technology Centre by 2008.
Increase equity in university access and participation
increase funding through the Higher Education Equity Program by $2.3 million each year from 2005
increase funding for Indigenous participation by $20 million between 2005 and 2007 create 200 scholarships for Indigenous university students of $10,000 a year for three years from 2005
establish an Indigenous Higher Education Advisory Council in consultation with Indigenous students, staff and the broader Indigenous community provide an additional $6 million over three years to support people with a disability to access and complete university education.
Provide vision, investment and direction for a diverse world-class Australian university system
establish a competitive $450 million fund to encourage universities' transition to twenty-first century learning institutions establish a $150 million Community Engagement fund to support regional, rural and outer-suburban universities' leadership role in local communities
establish a $150 million teaching and learning fund to recognise and reward teaching and learning excellence including the provision of support for new university teachers.
Secure the foundations for high standards and improved quality
maintain the value of funding to universities by including the Wage Cost Index (Education) in a composite index to increase university grants over and above existing increases and provide $312.7 million additional funding fund all university places at the full Commonwealth rate including approximately 25,000 full-time equivalent places which are currently funded at a marginal rate
provide $3 million to establish quality assurance of student assessment in consultation with the university sector
provide an additional $2.4 million to the Australian Universities Quality Agency to audit offshore campuses to the same standards as domestic campuses of Australian universities
introduce an enforceable National Quality and Accountability Code for publicly funded and subsidised higher education providers.
Aim Higher will provide $2.34 billion over four years for Australian tertiary education.
Labor's package will establish the strategic settings for long-term reform and give more Australians the skills and education they need for a good job and a secure future.
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