[Greens-Media] Greens seek to disallow first wave of higher education deregulation

[Edwards, Jon (Sen K. Nettle)]

07.03.05

Greens seek to disallow first wave of higher education deregulation

Greens Senator Kerry Nettle gave notice today of a motion to disallow
the extension of 'higher education provider' status to 27 mainly
religious, mostly private education institutions.

The extension of higher education provider status would make these
institutions eligible for government subsidies via the Fee-Help
programme and the Commonwealth's scholarship programme, and the national
priority places system.

"The Minister last week released a report on the future deregulation of
the Higher Education system and flagged the need for a national debate.
The Minister has already pre-empted this debate by seeking to extend
eligibility for government subsidies to these institutions now," Senator
Nettle said.

"The Greens motion will allow for The Minister's debate to occur before
the proposed extension of public subsidies to more private providers is
considered.

"This is 'ad hoc' policy in the funding of higher education and does not
deserve the Parliament's support.

"In the past we have seen this government extend significant public
subsidies to the private Notre Dame University without parliamentary
approval and without appropriate accountability. This bad process should
not be repeated.

"There is no explanation as to why these institutions deserve a share of
a limited a federal higher education budget, or how the extension of
public subsidy to these mostly religious teaching institutions is in the
public interest.

"It may be that there are valid reasons for some of these providers to
be eligible for public subsidies but there needs to be a fair and open
process by which these decisions are made.

"The Greens are particularly concerned that private providers will be
receiving public funding without having to account for their activities
in the same open way that public education institutions do.

"It is also of a concern that nearly half of all the institutions listed
for public financial support are religious teaching organisations of a
kind whose employment and admission practices have been considered
discriminatory."

Contact - Jon Edwards 0428 213 146