Christopher Pyne hints at plan for uni students to pay more

Date
    May 4, 2014

"I do think that there is capacity for students to contribute more to their own education": Christopher Pyne.

Education Minister Christopher Pyne has appeared to endorse a National Audit Commission recommendation to boost student contributions to their higher education costs, in a sign that the government is seriously considering increasing university fees.      

The commission's report, released last Thursday, recommends that the federal government contribute less to higher education costs, with students picking up the slack. At present the Commonwealth pays about 59 per cent of bachelor tuition costs and students pay 41 per cent. The commission is calling for the government to supply 45 per cent, with students making up the extra 55 per cent.

When the Education Minister was asked directly about the proposal on Sunday, he replied: ''I do think that there is capacity for students to contribute more to their own education.''

While Mr Pyne praised Australia's HELP system, which allows students to pay back their course costs once they are earning more than $51,000 a year, he said graduates would be likely to enjoy an unemployment rate below 1 per cent and, over their lifetimes, earn 75 per cent more than people without a degree.

National University of Students president Deanna Taylor slammed the proposal, arguing that students already bore ''far too much of the burden of their education''. She said if the commission's recommendations were implemented, Australia would drop right to the bottom of the OECD in terms of government contribution to higher education.      

Ms Taylor said students already took almost a decade to pay off their university debts. ''The suggestion that they need to pay more is quite outrageous.''

Labor higher education spokesman Kim Carr said there would be ''serious consequences for social equity'' if students were asked to pay more.   

''This is all part of the Abbott government’s agenda to soften up Australians for a huge shake-up in higher education and to shift a larger burden of the cost of higher education onto the shoulders of students and their families,'' he said.      

Group of Eight chairman Ian Young said Mr Pyne's comment showed the government was interested in reducing its contribution to higher education.

''I don't think that surprises anyone,'' Professor Young said. However, he noted the Education Minster had not specified exactly how the government would proceed.

Professor Young said the government could either make a straight budget cut or cut federal funding but raise student contributions, or cut funding and then deregulate what universities can charge.

He said the Group of Eight favoured deregulation in terms of what institutions could charge, rather than a ''blanket increase'' in student fees. Elite universities have been calling for deregulation of the sector, which, they argue, will provide more diversity and competition.

The commission of audit report – which also contained recommendations about reducing the income threshold at which students pay back HELP loans, and changing indexation arrangements of the loans – also comes as the government considers the Kemp-Norton review, which recommends federal funding for private universities.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/christopher-pyne-hints-at-plan-for-uni-students-to-pay-more-20140504-zr4c2.html#ixzz30mRwY8K3

Education and Healthcare should be for the wealthy, it's not a peasant party out there.

In an economy crying out for skilled people—they will increase the cost of education Madness! Yet you can go to the AIS and pay nothing. What twisted priorities ALL goats regarding bloody sport!

NewStart and DSP recipients already have to do so many hours of volunteer work—Howard’s mutual obligation (altho that never applied to him except if causing huge expense and inconvenience by the dried up little coconut living in Kirribilly rather than the Lodge and drinking the Kirribilly cellar empty were mutual obligation.)

Most unemployed would MUCH rather have paid work—those who want to be unemployed, and there are some, make up a very small fraction of the total unemployed.

Another odd decision, if it goes through of course.  While people often joke about students being lazy, an educated workforce earns on average a LOT more income than those who are unskilled. 

The subsidy given to educate them is a fraction what they will pay in income tax over their lifetime.

Also, classy going for the "pull the ladder up once you've climbed up" approach, as heaps of the current politicians would not have paid a cent for their education.

Soren wrote on May 5^th, 2014 at 1:47pm:


My masters was HECS.