The radical restructuring of undergraduate and graduate degrees unveiled by Melbourne University for 2008 includes concerning changes, say the Australian Democrats.
"We understand that the Federal Government's refusal to adequately invest in Australia's higher education sector places universities in very difficult positions," Democrats' Spokesperson for Higher Education, Senator Natasha Stott Despoja said.
"Increasing the number of full-fee places and the amount of time that some students must spend at university to attain professional qualifications, however, only adds to the huge debt that students already accrue under the current system.
"The offer of cash scholarships and even free degrees highlights the fact that fees and charges are a disincentive to students participating in higher education, especially those from traditionally disadvantaged backgrounds.
"Is this model the way of the future? The best and brightest can get their HECS written off while other aspiring students have to struggle with ever-increasing debt levels?" Senator Stott Despoja said.
The Australian Democrats have long campaigned on a platform of ensuring access to university for Australians irrespective of their financial circumstances. We initiated a Senate Inquiry into student income support (which reported in 2005) to which the Government still has not responded. We also regularly call for increased Government investment in students and university infrastructure.
"Insofar as the sector is likely to have to make major reforms to remain sustainable in the long term, this will be an interesting experiment," Senator Stott Despoja said.
"There is little doubt though that there is capacity within the Federal Budget to further invest in students through, for example, more generous income support for those students who need it. One-off scholarships are not the whole answer.
"I remain sceptical about whether a US-style university sector is something to which we should aspire yet, I suspect the US model is what the Federal Government had in mind all along," Senator Stott Despoja said.
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