Australia: Universities set to expand

Universities can accept increased numbers of students following senate agreement last week to the Julia Gillard government's higher education expansion plan, writes Stephen Matchett for The Australian. The bill empowers the government to provide a place for every prospective student who is accepted by any university.
According to Tertiary Education Minister Chris Evans, the legislation will end bureaucratic control over university enrolments by empowering institutions to accept as many students as they choose, rather than negotiating annual enrolments with Canberra. While the Opposition points to a provision in the legislation that allows the minister to cap places in any field of study, as now occurs in medicine, Liberal higher education spokesman Brett Mason said the coalition supported expanding access to university.
University lobby groups were quick to endorse the legislation. Full report on The Australian site.