By Marina Carman
Recognising the unpopularity of further moves towards "user pays", the government has ruled out two major proposals contained in the discussion paper of the review of higher education being conducted by Roderick West. The paper was released on November 12.
Federal cabinet decided to reject a voucher system after direct intervention by John Howard. While the review avoids the word "voucher", it includes proposals for a system in which government funding is given to students rather than universities, through a voucher that can be spent at the university of their choice.
Vouchers are being described as "student-centred" funding, but in reality they represent the next step towards deregulation, less government funding and more student charges. Smaller and regional institutions would suffer, private universities would be allowed access to government funding, and students would be forced to foot the bill.
The discussion paper proposes"near universal" access to tertiary education, and for government funding to be maintained or even increased. However, since successive Labor and Liberal governments have slashed tertiary education funding, the paper's proposals simply amount to providing business with the skilled personnel and research it needs, at students' expense.
All options in the paper are "user pays", the most favoured being one in which "learning accounts" equivalent to five years' tertiary study would be "given" to all young Australians, while universities could charge up-front fees to "top up" funding.
The discussion paper recommends that students undertaking their first degree should not have to pay up-front fees, but all its options include students paying at least a deferred fee, like the Higher Education Contribution Scheme.
Fearing a further drop in the Coalition's youth vote if it was seen to favour more fees for TAFE, Howard also rejected the recommendation that HECS be extended to TAFE courses.
The report talks about blurring of the boundaries between universities and vocational education and training. The "benefits" of such a system are the ability to levy fees across the board, and to more accurately suit education to labour market and business needs.
Competition
Competition is put forward as improving quality for students/"consumers". The reality is that differentiation will grow between richer and poorer institutions, and richer and poorer students.
The paper proposes a number of measures to improve teaching through monitoring and competition, including providing incentives for teaching quality as well as research. It argues for a direct link between "good teaching" and the ability of institutions to attract revenue by attracting more students.
Competition will not lead to better teaching across the board, and neither will the fact that the review failed to deal with major concerns raised by staff such as pay and job security.
Some of the discussion paper's proposals may even adversely affect job security. The review emphasises the benefits of course provision through information technology. However, this is most often being introduced to cut teaching costs, not to improve quality.
Government plans
The government has been forced to back off from some of the major proposals, fearing another damaging battle with students and staff. However, the review's terms of reference are to set policy perspectives for the next 20 years.
Whether West presents his final report in March or not, the government will use the discussion paper to back up future policy. Vouchers and other proposals will undoubtedly surface again at a more politically opportune moment. Does anyone remember Howard's promise before the last election not to cut higher education spending?
The Liberals would not get much argument from Labor if they decided to go with West's proposal for a "learning account". The idea was suggested by shadow education minister Mark Latham and Peter Baldwin earlier this year. Although Latham criticised the content of the review before it was released, a proposal to make learning accounts official ALP policy will go to its national conference in January.