The passage of much improved legislation to establish an Australian Tertiary Education Commission (ATEC) marks a significant turning point for Australia’s higher education sector.
After decades of inconsistent policy and unintended consequences, the sector will get the independent authority it needs with the standing to provide frank, fearless and evidence-based advice to Government.
Group of Eight Chief Executive Vicki Thomson said,
“As Australia’s leading research-intensive universities, the Go8 called for research to be central to ATEC’s work. This has been achieved in the amended bill that will explicitly recognise research and research training as core, embedded elements of ATEC’s powers and functions. The guarantee that we will have ATEC Commissioners with expertise in research will ensure that the sector is led by people who understand this fundamental tenet of our universities.”
“We also called for the ATEC to have autonomy and independence and, as a result of the amendments passed, the ATEC will crucially now be able to initiate its own policy and research work.”
“Disappointingly, ATEC has not been empowered to consider student contributions. If the Australian Government is serious about equity in our higher education sector, Job-Ready Graduates must be reviewed. JRG has entrenched inequity, particularly for humanities and social sciences students, at a time when we need these disciplines to better understand our society, inform public policy, and strengthen civil society. The Go8 will continue to advocate for the dismantling of JRG as a priority.”
The Go8 acknowledges the role of the crossbench in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, who consulted widely with the sector to deliver a vastly improved ATEC.