Whitlam gave free Uni education to the rich

Yet the facts, and the Whitlam and Hawke Labor governments, say otherwise. Whitlam’s private secretary Peter Wilenski wrote that the abolition of university fees “had no impact on the socioeconomic distribution of the origins of university students, and was in effect a direct handout to the better off”. Academics and administrators got larger salaries, wrote Wilenski, but “it was doubtful whether it should have had first call on government funds”.

Though Bacon and the baby boomers are loath to admit it, the pioneers of popular university education were Robert Menzies and his Liberal-Country Party successors who quadrupled university admissions between 1956 and 1972.

Tens of thousands of undergraduates were receiving commonwealth scholarships when Whitlam came to power, including, incidentally, former treasurer Wayne Swan. Scholarships were awarded competitively to the most able students regardless of circumstances, guaranteeing that those who entered academe were the academically able.

One consequence of the Whitlam free-for-all was to increase the failure rate. At the start of the 1970s, 34 per cent of students who enrolled would leave empty-handed; by the end of the decade, the rate had risen to 40 per cent.

As Whitlam’s education minister, Kim Beazley Sr, wrote in his memoirs: “Generally speaking, those who have a tertiary education in Australia tend to come from the higher income groups. Making tertiary education free therefore tends to shift resources upwards in the community.”

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/bacon-and-baby-boomers-just-maintain-the-myth/story-fnhulhjj-1227040577057

14 comments

Whitlam unlike the libs gave opportunity for all to attain higher education . That concept is beyond your grasp .

It's so easy, Treasurer

The Group of Eight universities, the richest and most powerful in the country, estimate that for a return to free education, $132.8 billion would be needed between now and 2030. That works out at $8.3 billion per year.

Each year the government forks out $13 billion on fuel subsidies to mining companies owned by Gina Rinehart, Andrew ''Twiggy'' Forrest and Clive Palmer.

I am no economist but I can think of one funding cut that Treasurer Joe Hockey has not.

Conor Flynn, Fitzroy North


Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/comment/the-age-letters/we-must-not-repeat-the-mistakes-of-the-past-20140828-3eik1.html#ixzz3BkhaGz2p

Geo, can we at least extend diesel subsidies to Universities and mum's in 4 wheel drives who pick their kids up in style.


FEES at private colleges would be expected to plummet under a plan to give them teaching subsidies, exposing public universities to new competitive pressure.

Yesterday, the Abbott government revealed private colleges and TAFEs would be given 70 per cent of the subsidy offered to ­universities.

Education Minister Christopher Pyne has said allowing other providers to compete for higher education students would avoid excessive increases in the cost of tuition, if his plan to de­regulate fees from 2016 was ­approved by parliament.

Higher education policy expert Andrew Norton said: “What this will do is enable more private colleges to compete with univer­sities, especially the less prestigious ones. Private colleges will be able to either undercut universities on price or offer better value for money in terms of class size.”

Under the changes announced yesterday, six private and inter­national universities, which currently operate under a different set of rules from public institutions, will be able to compete on an equal footing for research grants, as well as receive the same teaching subsidies as public ­institutions.


Introducing the legislation to parliament yesterday, Mr Pyne said it would deliver the best university system in the world, making Australia a magnet for foreign students.

Labor, the Greens and the Palmer United Party vowed to reject the bill in the Senate despite the appeal by Universities Australia chairwoman Sandra Harding for parliamentarians on all sides to support deregulation.

Adrian McComb, from the Council of Private Higher Education, said his members expected to pass on to students the full government subsidy.

“People have been scaring kids with talk of $100,000 degrees,” Mr McComb said.

Stephen Nagle, director of the private Holmes Institute, said the advent of teaching subsidies could see him lift student numbers in his bachelor of fashion and business degree.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/education/private-colleges-eye-a-profitable-future-under-christopher-pyne-deregulation-plan/story-fn59nlz9-122704069291

 

Yes Pete, I am as sure as hell it will extend equity in Uni entry. Afterall, its sooo...... obvious that charging more helps everybody to get there, regardless of anything else.

As to TAFEs, thay've been pillaged by Labor and Libs.

Kopernicus there are no longer real univercities where you go to get education for its own sake .

They are now all places you go to be trained for a job Univercities for the professions Tafes for the trades and Private for specific roles . 

They should compete and specialise and ALL students given the same support from the taxpayers...

There is a big wave coming of on line Unis which will be available world wide . Then you will see real competition . It is a disruptive technology for the good..

Kids today are so dumbed down most would be lucky to pass the entrance exams to get into University.

Yes the introduction of uncapped places and yet not funding the univercities to handle it has resulted in a lowering of standards. 

From  the budget papers 2014


 Students who have FEE-HELP and VET FEE-HELP loans will no longer have to pay a fee of up to 25 per cent, and TAFE and college students will also be able eligible for government assistance for the first time.

 

Age (Pravda on the Yarra ) 2012

IT HAS never been easier to get into an Australian university. But not everyone agrees that this is a good thing. Is it a sign of declining standards? Are students making the right choices?
Easier university entry reflects a policy change. Until recently, the government kept the supply of university places below student demand. Scarce student places were allocated to university applicants according to academic ability, for school leavers measured by ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank). The practical effect was to largely exclude lower-scoring ATAR applicants from university.
Most government caps on public university enrolments have now been abolished. As a result, the supply of higher education places exceeds demand at some universities. These universities are discounting their ATAR requirements to maintain enrolments and revenues.
Since 2009, the chance of a university applicant with an ATAR below 50 receiving an offer has doubled to one in four. For applicants with ATARs between 50 and 60, nearly three-quarters received offers in 2012, up from over half in 2009. These lower-ATAR students are still a small proportion of all enrolling students, but the trend is clear.


Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/easy-university-entry-a-good-or-bad-thing-20130210-2e6qp.html#ixzz3Bl078Dt0

End elitist attitude

Like Denise Newton (Letters, August 29), I too benefited from the Whitlam university reforms. Without the free education offered I would not have been able to spend the  last 37 years teaching students from "low" and "middle" socio-economic backgrounds, helping them to become useful and productive members of our society. I am incensed at the elitist, patronising attitudes of so many of the Abbott Government ministers. Implied in Christopher Pyne's rhetoric is the belief (like Joe Hockey's the poor don't drive cars) that the poor don't need or are incapable of gaining a university education. 

Yet another reason to vote this lot out.

Kath Miller Tura Beach 


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/smh-letters/turbulent-times-for-qantas-20140829-109qga.html#ixzz3BnDSTCuO

Whitlams Uni reforms was middle class welfare . 

Who was the dill that put up a thread about free uni for the rich ? Ah the resident troll . Now its middle class . What a sorry sod , inconsistent as ever .

Oops sorry I would have thought that you found the middle class rich.,,

I find them a bit arriviste myself ..,,

The working class can kiss my arse,
I've got the foremans' job at last.
I'm out of work and on the dole,
You can stuff the red flag up your hole.
The working class can kiss my arse,
I've got the foremans' job at last.

I'm a bit slow. The Forman is the union leader right?

No bottom end of management ..More like a Sargent not an officer .

" I'm a bit slow. "

Well solly you will get no argument from me about your self assessment .

It is sad the way our Education/University standards have fallen. We have teachers that cannot spell and unable to use proper grammar.

One must ask how do they pass their exams? They no longer have to as their academic assesment is done on assigment work wheter the student understands the information or not or even whethr they completed the assigment on their own or not.

Yes we can not give the students exams in case it causes them stress ? Wonder what happens when they leave the Educational Institution - no stress in the real world ?

Suze,

I agree.

I also believe that matriculation subjects should be taken with the university course in mind.  This was the case at the top univesities in England; I do not know what the situation is now. 

Australia:  When I was tutoring albeit many years ago, students were trying to get into law with very high scoring matriculation scores, based on science subjects.  The results were that these students had to do a year of a BA to learn to write a coherent sentence. Effectively a remedial class.  Many didn't know how to apply a full-stop ... paragraphs were often written without any.  Having to do a first-year BA often led to resentment from the students.

Another problem was that departments had to have a specific number of passing students to secure their funding.  I know a case in point when a student presented woefully - the tutor stated a fail - however, the deparment passed this student to ensure their continuing funding.   

A major problem of lowering TARPTs is that kids will go through Uni with no prospect of passing their professions entry requirements no will have wasted their time...

I don't believe in lowering "anything" but rather ensuring children have a decent education.

I can't see why there should be any differences between schools.

It will be very interesting to see the effect of MOOCs on tertiary education.

Pete,

I am a firm believer in free university education.  I tutored during this era and witnessed many talented students coming from extremely modest backgrounds.  In one case, a student had entered university against his father's wishes, his father seeing this as a class thing and condemning the tertiary educated. I do not know if this would occur now.

I feel that by denying those from such backgrounds, we are losing gifted resources we can't afford to lose.  Also every individual should have the opportunity to achieve whatever they are capable.

I personally know a leading scientist whose father was fetler, and if you look at academia itself, you will find many others from such humble beginnings.  

There is no such thing as free anything someone has to pay .. What you are saying is that those who do not get a univercity education should pay for those that do . I spite of the fact that a univercity education provides a higher salary . 

The reason that more kids go to univercity from middle class families than lower class is that parents are more involved and educate a sense of achievement . 

No meter what we do "free" education under whitlam or uncapped places under Gillard this remains so ...

The most successful at getting lower class children into higher education was the scheme under Menzies where scholarships were given to children on their high school results regardless ...,

It's cruel to open up Unis by lowering standards to anyone .. This only brings in. Children who are not suitable . The new system of giving the same Hecs to Tafe and private colleges and corralling 20percent of fees to be given to those from lower social economic backgrounds would seem a good suggestion . 

I believe it's all short term anyway as Moocs will change everything and hopefully univercities will go back to being true centres of education and not training colleges..

Of course you are right Pete.

As you say, those that receive a university education attract a higher salary, but this in turn attracts higher tax.

Many post-grad students, especially in the sciences, put in many, many hours of their own time, which private enterprise would not support.

Unpaid under-grads and post-grads contribute in enormous ways to scientific developments emerging from universities.  Who owns the patent on these?

Some of these developments , if exploited properly, would be a financial bonanza to this country.  As it is, we hear of post-grads taking their research overseas.

A considerable issue, I believe, is that we are losing gifted and talented resources.  Perhaps those who would be a great benefit to this country in many ways.

There you go Twila.

I have a Senior Technical Officer qualification withe the Fed PS

I am a hightly qualified Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer.

An Engineering Manager in Aviation.

Post grad uni qualifications and am part way through a Masters.

Raised in a childrens home, left at 15yo and made my own way. Not too many countries in the world where you can do that. I would not like to see any changes that would prevent individuals such as myself making a go of it in the future.

If the opportunities are there and someone wants to have a shot social background should not be part of the equation. I also feel I have contributed quite a bit back into society and industry that would more than cover any costs I may have incurred to institutions or others along the way. Paid my dues in spades.

Petes comments about lower classes not having a sense of achievement is utter crap. Nearly all of my associates from my childhood did extremely well.

Take it easy.

SD

I too am from the lower classes did not go to Uni and achieved a lot . But that does not change the fact that for some reason it is middle class children in the majority who do well at school and go to univercity .

the topic heading by whitlam ministers who implemented the policy support that view. 

Shaggy Dog,

I would definitely say you have contributed back into society and industry far more than has been incurred to institutions.  Very much so.

When I look at some of my students, that I know about, they have contributed more to society than was invested in them.

One became a prominent lawyer and does much pro-bono work for the very disadvantaged, even street-people.  From what I hear, he never turns a "client" down.

Just as Australia values its natural resources, we should be developing our human resources.  Not letting them slip through the net.  

Such a waste at all levels, not the least to the individual's human potential.

This also leads onto another issue experienced by science post-grads.  Where they have achieved something of import, but no local industry, etc. wants to take these up.  It was common knowledge that so much of this went overseas.

We don't seem to value these as we should.

They are different subjects Twilsy . You are talking about those who succeeded at Uni . What was found under the Whitlam scheme was that the failure rate sored to 

40 per cent..

Pete,

I do not believe in lowering university standards in any way.  It is not automatic that admitting students from modest backgrounds, lowers university standards.

If there is a problem with these children, it is because the education they receive at school level is not the same as that elsewhere.  It should be.  

One of the features of lowered university standards is by bringing in high fee-paying students from overseas, who have a very poor grasp of English.  This is a real problem.

Australian governments acknowledge and value the contribution to Australian life of international students who come here from all over the world to study, live and work. International students enrich Australian communities, bringing energy, diversity and new ways of seeing things. They expand Australia's global networks and link us to the world. Their high- quality life experiences in Australia contribute to our regional and global standing.

The international education sector is also very important economically. It is Australia's third largest source of export income. International students supplement and diversify our labour force in the longer term if they meet Australia's skills needs and choose to stay in or return to Australia. 

Yes, I agree with all that Pete. It goes without saying.  

However, often their English is poor and this causes problems in an academic setting.

Twila,

An innovation or invention of mine appeared on the English Tomorrows World program, similar program to our Catalyst.

It has been utilised by many over the ensuing years. I made no money out of it, intentionally.

Take it easy.

SD

Twila,

For English read BBC Tomorrows World.

The first thing I knew about it was a phone call from BBC stating they would like to come out to Oz, meet me, have a chat, and do a segment for the show.

And so it unfolded.

SD

That's wonderful SD.  People should get recognition for what they develop.

I will definitely read this with much interest.

I presume they don't interview you as Shaggy Dog.  

May I ask you the name of the segment, or other detail identifying your interview?

Twila,

Sent you a PM.

SD

SD,

Received your PM and replied.

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