Category Archives: Australian universities

Senator says treaty ‘the only way forward’ – as it happened

Posted on by

This blog is now closed.

Julian Leeser, the former shadow minister for Indigenous affairs and yes campaigner, has reassured ABC Radio that the voice to parliament is a “safe change” with cross-party support as the referendum draws nearer.

“Right from the beginning of my participation in this debate, I’ve called for a higher standard of debate and I’ve said that we should focus on issues of people,” he said.

I was proud to put my signature to the yes case. The yes case provides a positive reason for voting … It speaks to the practical results from change. It explains why recognition makes a difference to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. But it’s a safe change. It’s a change supported by people from all sides of politics.

Continue reading...

Australian universities report finds quality of education eroded by ‘long-term underfunding’

Posted on by

New report reveals 83% of respondents are concerned universities’ focus on profit is undermining education standards

Decades of declining public funding for universities and the increasing corporatisation of the sector has further eroded working conditions for staff and the quality of education for students, according to a new report.

Of the 1,002 respondents in the report by the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work, 83% said they were concerned universities’ focus on profit was undermining education standards.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Teenager ‘racially assaulted’ by former University of New England vice-chancellor, court told

Posted on by

Prof Brigid Heywood has pleaded not guilty to assault and offensive behaviour for allegedly wiping her spit on the girl’s face

A teenager who was allegedly subjected to offensive conduct by the former vice-chancellor of the University of New England has told a court she was “racially assaulted”.

Prof Brigid Heywood is alleged to have licked her finger and wiped it twice on the teenager’s face and made comments about her skin colour at an International Women’s Day event in Armidale on 8 March 2022.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Magistrate in assault case against former University of New England vice-chancellor showed ‘lack of objectivity’, court told

Posted on by

Prof Brigid Heywood is accused of wiping her spit on a teenager’s face during an International Women’s Day event in 2022

The former University of New England vice-chancellor Prof Brigid Heywood’s legal team have applied for the magistrate hearing her assault case to recuse himself, claiming he displayed a “lack of calmness and objectivity”.

Heywood, a British-Australian biological scientist, is alleged to have wiped her saliva on a teenager’s face and commented on her skin colour at a council-run International Women’s Day event in March 2022. She was a panellist at the event.

Sign up to receive Guardian Australia’s fortnightly Rural Network email newsletter

Sign up for the Rural Network email newsletter

Join the Rural Network group on Facebook to be part of the community

Continue reading...

Teen felt ‘degraded and belittled’ by former University of New England vice-chancellor, court told

Posted on by

Prof Brigid Heywood has pleaded not guilty to charges of assault and offensive behaviour over an alleged incident in March 2022

A teenager who was allegedly assaulted and subjected to offensive behaviour by the former vice-chancellor of the University of New England at an International Women’s Day event last year has told a court that the incident left her feeling “ degraded and belittled”.

Prof Brigid Heywood, 65, a British-Australian biological scientist, is alleged to have wiped her saliva on a teenager’s face and commented on her skin colour at a council-run International Women’s Day event on 8 May 2022. She was a panellist at the event.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Federal budget on track to smash surplus forecasts as cash balance hits $19bn – as it happened

Posted on by

This blog is now closed

Melbourne hit by magnitude 4.6 earthquake

Melburnians were shaken by a magnitude 4.6 earthquake at 1.32am.

Continue reading...

Banks stick to rate hike predictions – as it happened

Posted on by

This blog is now closed.

Historical societies say banning hate symbols could impact history preservation

Historical societies are also concerned about the proposal to ban Nazi and Islamic State symbols, AAP reports. They worry it will limit education and the preservation of history, and impact memorabilia value.

Modellers need to be able to purchase these items (and) symbols, let alone the basic right of Australian citizens to partake in the legitimate hobby of collecting modelling military items.

The words inscribed on the Islamic flag are sacred words and written by Muslims on a daily basis.

These words are taken directly from our scripture, the Holy Quran, and therefore cannot be subject to a ban.

Continue reading...

Australian universities to offer ‘microcredentials’ in key areas to address skills crisis

Posted on by

The 28 short courses are designed to provide qualifications to up to 4000 students by 2026

Australian universities will offer almost 30 short courses in the key areas of IT, engineering, science, health and education in an attempt to curtail Australia’s skilled worker shortage.

The 28 courses, or microcredentials, from 18 universities are designed to teach targeted skills that are more relevant for employers.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Crossbench welcomes Labor review of student loan ‘quirk’ that added hundreds to debts

Posted on by

Education minister stands by three-decade high indexation rate of 7.1% but acknowledges need for minor reforms amid backlash

Critics of soaring indexation on student debts have welcomed the education minister’s commitment to look into an accounting quirk in the way loans are indexed which could save graduates hundreds of dollars in repayments.

Hecs debts rise annually with inflation on 1 June, but loan repayments aren’t processed until tax returns are lodged, which can be months later. This means indexation is applied to portions of debts already paid – often by thousands of dollars.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

GPs aiding international student agents to exploit Australian visa ‘loophole’, inquiry hears

Posted on by

Agents earn extra commission by shuffling foreign students between providers in what Labor calls an unethical ‘shadow economy’

Labor has vowed to crack down on the unregulated world of international education agents after revelations that general practitioners may be involved in student recruitment schemes.

Foreign agents have been used by Australian universities for decades to drive enrolments and assist students offshore with application processes and accommodation.

Continue reading...

Australians who lost welfare under 1990s student loan scheme have cause for class action, expert says

Posted on by

Andrew Grech says action could be pursued if implications of SFSS loans were misrepresented to people when they signed up

Recipients of a dumped welfare scheme that enticed low-income students to trade away their right to welfare have cause to mount a class action, a senior legal expert says.

The Australian government is still chasing $2bn of debt from more than 140,000 former students who signed up to the student financial supplement scheme (SFSS).

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Lack of pregnancy care for international students in Australia may lead to ‘reluctant abortions’, inquiry told

Posted on by

Advocates say people on student visas, who are initially ineligible for reproductive healthcare, risk dropping out if they fall pregnant

International students are being denied pregnancy care, leading to them dropping out of university, having “reluctant abortions”, and or undertaking sex work to pay for antenatal care, advocates say.

Those on student visas are not eligible for Medicare and instead must take out overseas student health cover (OSHC). The terms of that cover – agreed via a deed between the federal government and insurers – exclude any pregnancy care for the first year.

Continue reading...

Opposition leader says no federal intervention needed – as it happened

Posted on by

This blog is now closed.

Albanese added he is concerned about Assange’s mental health.

There was a court decision here in the United Kingdom that was then overturned on appeal that went to Mr Assange’s health, as well, and I am concerned for him.

It’s frustrating. I share the frustration. I can’t do more than make very clear what my position is.

… I think that the Assange case needs to be looked at in terms of what occurred, what the allegations are, and whether the time effectively that has been served already is in excess of what would be reasonable if it were proved that this had occurred.

Continue reading...

First major bank passes on rate hike – as it happened

Posted on by

This blog is now closed.

Asked whether he would swear allegiance, Albanese replied he “will do what is entirely appropriate as the representative of Australia” promising to “engage in that spirit” by swearing the oath – as he has done 10 times when sworn in to parliament and as a minister.

Albanese noted that Australians had voted at the 1999 referendum to remain a monarchy, but acknowledged that Australians have a “wide range of views” on whether to become a republic.

I think that Australia should have an Australian as our head of state, I don’t shy away from that. I haven’t changed my views.

But my priority is constitutional recognition – I can’t imagine going forward, for example, going forward as was suggested by some legitimately that we should be having another referendum on the republic before that occurs.

All Australians wish King Charles well regardless of the different views of people will have about our constitutional arrangements.

Continue reading...

Australia news live: student debt ‘avalanche’ a sign loan system is broken, Faruqi says; drowning death at Victoria beach

Posted on by

Follow live

The environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, is this morning committing to $260m to Australia’s national parks to address problems after “a decade of neglect”.

Plibersek is telling ABC News some parks have become unsafe:

What we’ve seen in our national parks, feral animals, invasive weeds, despite the best efforts of our rangers and staff, they just haven’t been able to keep up with the demand in our parks.

They’ve actually become unsafe. One of the worst examples I heard was broken and missing crocodile signs in Kakadu national park.

Continue reading...

Calls to reform Australia’s student debt scheme as loan holders face ‘deeply unjust’ 7.1% rise

Posted on by

Millions of Australians face a hike in their Help and Hecs loans when indexation is added on 1 June, the highest increase in decades

Australians with student debt face the highest increase in decades from 1 June, leading to calls from a growing group of MPs and advocates for the government to urgently reform the repayment system amid the cost-of-living crisis.

The March quarterly figures, released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Wednesday, revealed the consumer price index (CPI) for the first three months of 2023 was at an annual rate of 7%, down from the 32-year high in December of 7.8%, but up on last March’s 5.1%.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Australia news live: household assistance on energy bills to be detailed in budget, Chalmers says

Posted on by

Treasurer says volatility in the global economy to have ‘flow-on effect on budget’. Follow the day’s news live

The shadow minister for foreign affairs, Simon Birmingham, is chastising the PM for letting there be any doubt whether he will be attending the Nato security summit.

Bangarra Dance Theatre supports voting ‘Yes’ in voice referendum

For over three decades, Bangarra Dance Theatre has been privileged to be entrusted with sharing the powerful voices of the world’s oldest living cultures – the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures of this nation.

The stories we tell have awakened a national consciousness to the deep scars of our colonial history, and the legacy of unseen trauma left in its wake. We attend to this knowing that by carrying Story, we also carry a responsibility to give insight into our experiences, promote understanding, and effect change. But is this enough?

Continue reading...

Australian university reforms to incentivise Stem degrees over arts have ‘dismally failed’, peak bodies say

Posted on by

Leading tertiary voices push for Morrison government policy to be scrapped, saying it hurts both students and universities

Higher education reforms introduced by the Morrison government – which doubled the price of some humanities degrees and lowered fees on some other courses – have not benefited students and should be scrapped, peak university bodies say.

The jobs-ready graduates package was implemented by the former Coalition government in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic to incentive students to study certain degrees, including science and engineering.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Daniel Andrews returns from media-free China trip as opposition vows to pursue unanswered questions

Posted on by

Victorian premier reveals it was his decision not to invite media on his four-day mission to China

The Victorian premier Daniel Andrews says it was his decision not to invite journalists or key stakeholders on his four-day trip to China and has batted off criticism he had failed to be transparent about the visit.

Andrews this week became the first Australian leader to travel to China since the start of the pandemic and the announcement of the Aukus defence pact, visiting Beijing, Jiangsu and Sichuan before returning on Saturday.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Student teachers should spend more time on practical skills, less time on philosophy of education, panel recommends

Posted on by

An expert panel has outlined plans to radically reform degrees to improve teaching courses and address workforce shortages in Australia

Student teachers should spend more time on practical skills and less time on the history and philosophy of education, an expert panel has recommended.

The teacher education expert panel, set up by the federal government to improve teaching courses and address workforce shortages, released its discussion paper on Thursday, outlining plans to radically reform degrees.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...