A delegation of Vice-Chancellors’ recently met the Minister for Education, Science and Training, Julie Bishop, and Opposition spokesperson Stephen Smith, to put the case for increased regional funding.
The Vice-Chancellors’ pointed out that university participation rates in regional Australia were about the same as national rates in countries such as Uruguay and lower than in Argentina and Korea.
‘Largely because of the small scale of university operations in some regional areas, universities are subsidising their regional presence by as much as 100 per cent’ Professor Paul Johnson, Vice-Chancellor of La Trobe University said.
‘This is not sustainable, particularly in an environment in which the Government is demanding that universities carefully manage their finances’, he added.
Students in regional Australia are absolutely entitled to receive a quality tertiary education. They are equally entitled to have their capacity to attend regional campuses properly funded by Government.
The consortium of universities has developed a briefing paper outlining the key issues relating to regional higher education provision. The paper highlights the critical role regional higher education provision plays in the economic and social development of regional areas.
‘In some regional centres the local university accounts directly or indirectly for up to 32 per cent of the local economy,’ Professor Johnson said.
The universities will be working closely with their local communities in seeking commitments from both sitting MPs and candidates in the forthcoming Federal Election to better funding for regional higher education.
Wednesday, 29 August 2007Call for better funding of regional higher educationA consortium of universities with regional operations is seeking commitments from both the Federal Government and the Opposition for better funding of regional higher education.