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Push to expand commonwealth assistance for university students
In Sydney, a public hearing is taking place into the education minister’s higher education support amendment.
The amendment seeks to legislate the urgent recommendations of the Universities Accord interim report, including improving university governance, expanding Commonwealth support to all Indigenous Australians, not people in just those in regional areas and abolishing the former government’s controversial 50% pass rule.
The rule, introduced as part of the Coalition’s job ready graduates scheme, removed Commonwealth assistance for students who failed to pass 50% of subjects and disproportionately impacted disadvantaged students.
Vicki Thomson, Ceo of the research intensive Group of Eight (Go8) universities said the body “strongly support[s]” the legislation while adding it must also deliver outcomes in success – retention rates and future employment.
She said targets and places were “not the barrier to participation” amongst disadvantaged cohorts, pointing to UNSW’s policy to make an offer to every Indigenous student who applied.
Additional government support is needed … this doesn’t just start with universities, we need to build aspiration and prepare our students for study while they’re in secondary … and primary school … we’re less interested in headlines than we are of results.”
Just 15 of Australia’s 39 universities have met or exceeded the target of 20% students to be from low socioeconomic (SES) backgrounds. None are the Go8 universities, and the vast majority are in regional areas.
13m ago20.43 EDT
Victorian government increases funding for community sector
The Victorian government today has announced a new set of standards and an increase in annual funding for the community sector, in an effort to provide organisations working in areas such as child protection, family violence, homeless and mental health with more certainty.
In a statement, minister for child protection and family services, Lizzie Blandthorn, and treasurer, Tim Pallas, announced the increase in annual indexed funding – worth about $260m over four year - for 800 community sector organisations.
In addition, a new code has been created to ensure organisations comply with all applicable employment, industrial relations and workplace health and safety obligations, foster workplace equity and diversity and constructive relationships with their respective unions.
The code will apply to organisations that…
2023-08-31 19:39:06
Link from www.theguardian.com
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