Neo-liberalism crippling regional education

By Alex Schlotzer

The neo-liberal agenda is crippling regional education and opportunities in Australia.

This agenda is forcing public education institutions to become corporate in nature - seeking more and more funding from private enterprise and the citizenry. The government has been shown to be giving more funding to private education providers, while reducing funding to public education institutions.

Since 1996, the Australian government has been cutting back funding to public universities. It is estimated that the total funding cut is close to $5 billion (this is despite universities contributing approximately $5 billion to export revenue from international students). These cuts have forced universities to actively seek commercial opportunities from selling intellectual property, research services, private enterprises while advocating for flexibility in fee setting (which was passed in 2003). Yet the hardest hit have been students, their families and regional/rural universities and campuses.

The agenda of the free market knows best will see regional/rural universities becoming second-class institutions. Campuses of metropolitan universities will become vocation degree factories. Inevitably regional universities will have to increase fees however they will need to be extraordinarily careful by how much they are raised. Campuses generally do not have the autonomy to determine fee structures or rates. Increases in fees will prohibit students in regional/rural Australia. Students in regional/rural Australia indicate that without HECS and/or having a university or campus located near them they would not be able to afford to attend university. These students are predominantly in depressed regions that have heavy reliance on primary and secondary industries. Fee increases will result in fewer students from regional/rural Australia entering universities. Further the cost of relocating to a metropolitan campus will not be a viable option for regional/rural Australians. One can argue that there is always distance education and online learning, however universities in Australia cannot deliver effective and valuable educational resources that will assist a students' learning.

From 2005, students can expect to pay between $50,000 and $150,000 for a university qualification. Most students will simply not be able to afford it or they may end up with a lifetime debt, especially true for women graduates.

Regional universities and campuses will not be able to significantly increase its revenue base from students (any universities' revenue base) for fear of driving students away to other universities intra- and interstate. As a result they will have to diminish course offerings, diminish support services and may not be able to attract top academics or researchers. Essentially, this will change the perceived quality and standard of regional/rural universities and campuses. Subsequently, they may struggle to attract students, especially the lucrative international student market (and the soon-to-be lucrative domestic market). Graduates may also experience greater difficulties in obtaining employment or may tarnish a graduate's perceived employability.

Regional/rural universities and campuses provide essential tertiary education pathways. These pathways may be reduced or limited to vocational areas like nursing and education. This will either force students able to pay (or willing to take out student loans) to go to metropolitan universities or prohibit students taking up university. Students that move to metropolitan universities generally pay higher living and travel costs and lose valuable friend and family networks. These students also experience difficulty in obtaining employment or re-deployment.

Regional/rural Australia lacks the professionals it needs for greater development and sustainability. These areas find it difficult to attract graduates and professionals as a result of being unable to offer competitive salary/employment conditions. Students that leave regional/rural areas to study generally do not return for the first 10 to 20 years after graduation. However students from regional/rural areas that study in regional/rural areas are more likely to stay in regional/rural areas. Ultimately, regional/rural areas may struggle more and more to attract graduates and professionals. Regional/rural universities and campuses also contribute socially and economically to the region in which they operate. They contribute through employment for academic and administrative positions - with many of those being held by people from the area or other regional/rural areas. Universities and campuses also provide a significant and sustained injection into the economy of those areas in which they operate. They develop relationships with local industries and local governments to establish scholarships, research opportunities and become significantly involved in the communities in which they operate. They attract students that spend approximately $23,000 per year, which is spent in regional/rural businesses (but not just the pubs, clubs and fast-food shops). They are also seen to contribute in a significantly positive way to the future growth, development and stability for the areas in which they operate - they often take a leadership role.

Overall regional/rural universities and campuses play significant roles in the communities in which they operate. The neo-liberal agenda will cripple public universities and campuses in regional and rural Australia - and this will further harm regional and rural Australia economically and socially. Universities should be affordable and accessible to all Australians no matter where they are in Australia. The Australian government has a direct responsibility for ensuring universal access to higher education rather than force students and their families to accept the neo-liberal agenda. The government must re-invest in public universities.

18/02/04