By Andrew MacDonald. The Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) report Higher Education Loans Programme (HELP) Impact on the Budget released today shows HELP is in serious danger of becoming Australia’s subprime loans crisis if the government proceeds with its policy to cut funding per student by 20% and increase student fees, says the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU). More...
NTEU supports students rallying against Turnbull Govt higher education cuts
By Andrew MacDonald. The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) supports students around the country rallying tomorrow (Wednesday 13 April), for the National Union of Students’ (NUS) Fund our Future. Fight for our Future day of action. More...
Keeping campus open vital to region's future
By Andrew MacDonald. In the wake of recent renewed uncertainty about the future of the campus, National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) members have reaffirmed their commitment to fighting for local jobs, and an ongoing university presence in the region. More...
NTEU supports Safe Schools Coalition
By Andrew MacDonald. The National Tertiary Education Union has expressed its support for the Safe Schools Coalition, which has recently been subjected to a series of vicious and sustained political attacks. More...
Reforms give German university researchers much greater security
By Jen T. Kwok. After years of campaigning by the union for education and science, the German government passed a law last week that will improve the conditions that apply to contract employment in research.
With most jobs in science and academe being fixed term, often with contracts of less than a year, and surveys suggesting a looming exodus from the research sector, even conservative voices acknowledged that excessive advantage had been taken of the scope allowed by the previous legislation for fixed-term contracts among research staff. More...
TPP heats up in May (Advocate 23 01)
By Jen T. Kwok. A report by the World Bank has highlighted that the benefits of the TPP to Australia are negligible. Furthermore, the National Impact Assessment (NIA) prepared by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has failed to provide economic modelling about either the positive or negative impacts of the TPP. More...
HECS – HELP. Australia’s future subprime loan crisis?
By Paul Kniest. On Wednesday 6 April 2016 the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) released a report entitled Higher Education Loans Programme (HELP): Impact on Budget which shows that Australia’s internationally lauded income contingent HELP, or as many people would know it HECS, loan scheme is in danger of turning into Australia’s very own subprime loans crisis. More...
For-Profit Higher Education Providers Earn Big Profits but Pay Low Employee Benefits
By Paul Kniest. On 11 April 2016, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) released its report on the financial performance of Australia’s higher education sector called Key financial metrics on Australia’s higher education sector. Selected Insights April 2016. More...
Universities expected to drag business out of the innovation dark ages (Advocate 23 01)
By Paul Kniest. Following its dismal failure to convince the Australian public or the Senate of the merits of fee deregulation and public funding cuts, the Coalition Government under the new leadership of Malcolm Turnbull launched its much publicised and anticipated National Innovation and Science Agenda (NISA) on Monday 7 December 2015. This changes the focus of the Coalition’s higher education policy away from the funding and regulation of education to research and research training. More...
Uni staff supporting asylum seekers (Advocate 23 01)
By Jeannie Rea. Many university staff and students are enthusiastic participants and leaders in actions for asylum seekers and refugees organising through union and solidarity groups, as well as on campus. For example, staff at the University of Sydney organised an open letter to the Australian public which called upon the public to join them in condemning the conditions at the on and off shore mandatory detention centres. More...