PETER CAVE: The Federal Education Minister Julia Gillard argues it’s going to take time to overcome a decade of neglecting Australia’s universities, by the previous government. She spoke to Peta Donald in Canberra.
JULIA GILLARD: I think Australia should be aiming for a world class university system. We want the system to be world class so wherever students are in this country, whatever institution they’re at, they’re getting a world class education. And I can understand that universities are very frustrated after 11 years of neglect by the Howard-Costello government. We’ve slipped behind when it comes to public investment in universities. We’ve slipped radically behind. The rest of the world has been putting more money into tertiary education whilst we’ve been putting in less money.
PETA DONALD: So we’ve only got a couple of universities in the world’s top 100, what about aiming for ten?
JULIA GILLARD: Well, I think the aim should be for a world class system for each …
PETA DONALD: So you won’t put a number on it?
JULIA GILLARD: Well, for each university in this country to be at world class standards and for us to be reassured that whether you are studying in Brisbane or whether you are studying in Perth or studying in Tasmania, you are studying at a university that is part of a world class system and is offering you a world class education.
PETA DONALD: So do you agree with Professor Chubb that it is time for a radical overhaul of the university sector?
JULIA GILLARD: I agree with Professor Chubb that we need an education revolution including a higher education revolution. We need to make sure every part of our education system is world class. We’ve got some significant promises for higher education. Promises we made at the election that we will deliver including getting rid of full fee paying degrees. Currently Australian students can be confronted with paying for their degree. We want access to university to be on the basis of merit - not capacity to pay. We’ve also got a huge new scholarship program, doubling the number of scholarships; making sure that more students are supported in their studies. We want to work with the higher education sector to keep rebuilding our universities and we understand that it is going to be a big job. You don’t make up for 11 years of neglect overnight.
PETA DONALD: Well, all of that said, Universities Australia are still saying today that the funding that you’ve allocated is not nearly enough to undo a decade of neglect and this is not enough to have an education revolution.
JULIA GILLARD: I understand their frustration and I think they understand that making up for 11 years of neglect by the Howard-Costello government can’t be done overnight. We’ve got substantial promises for higher education. We’ll deliver on those promises in this budget. We’ll keep working with the sector on what else needs to be done to ensure that we have a world class system. But we have to be practical about this. When they’ve been starved for 11 years by the Howard-Costello government, that’s not something that can be fixed in less than 100 days, by the Rudd Labor Government.
PETA DONALD: On schools, after this year you are not going to continue the "Investing in our Schools" scheme for building and repairs on schools. Don’t you think that schools need this funding?
JULIA GILLARD: The report in the newspaper today is completely inaccurate. The Investing in our Schools program was only ever a four year program. It is a program of the former Howard-Costello government. It was always designed as a limited life program for four years.
PETA DONALD: But don’t those schools need it to continue?
JULIA GILLARD: Well, let me continue. Indeed when the former Prime Minister John Howard announced the last round of funding for this program, he said it was the last round. What are we going to do? Well we are going to make sure we keep investing in making schools better. We’ve got a $2.5-billion trades training program. A $1-billion computers in schools program. These are the new investments that schools need and are crying out for.
PETER CAVE: The Federal Education Minister, Julia Gillard speaking there to Peta Donald in Canberra.
END