The Summer Solstice -- the Silly Season is Almost Upon Us -- and The Queen of Hearts is Instituting a Review of the Impact of the Nelsonian Reformation. (December 19, 2006)

Attrib. Hans Sebald Beham: Allegory of the Mönchtum. -- 1521

    The Minister for Education Science and Training, Julie Bishop, being unable to think of anything useful to do for Australia's universities has decided to launch a two year review into the impact of the Higher Education Support Act of 2003 on the higher education sector.

Ms Bishop said, "This review is consistent with the Howard Government's commitment to ensure the efficient, transparent operation of the higher education sector and, through it, delivery of quality, and internationally competitive, accessible education for our students."

[Note in passing: TFW was informed today that La Trobe University is pushing for redundancies in the mathematics, departments at its two campuses  (Bundoora and Bendigo) as well as in Computer Science and Computer Engineering. Merry Christmas, everyone.]

Perhaps in your naivety you might think that Ms Bishop really wants not only the good but also the bad wrought by the Nelsonian Reformation to be determined for the good of Australia's higher education system.

Well, think on this:

Minister Bishop said that the Department of Education, Science and Training will undertake the review, which will investigate the impact on the higher education sector of the higher education reforms enacted through the Act and the 2003 Our Universities: Backing Australia’s Future reform package.

It will be conducted during 2007 and 2008 and will be overseen by an Interdepartmental Steering Committee, chaired by the Department of Education, Science and Training, with membership from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Treasury and the Department of Finance and Administration. [our emphasis]

“Consultation will be undertaken with higher education providers, peak bodies, professional organisations and other interested parties, including via submissions,” Minister Bishop said.

“Independent, external consultants may be engaged to assist with consultation and examination of technical issues.” [our emphasis]

...the issues to be considered will be structured into phases... Discussion papers will be released covering the issues to be considered in each phase and comments will be sought from the sector through structured consultation. [our emphasis]

I am releasing a discussion paper inviting submissions until 26 February 2007 on: the current discipline groupings and relativities within the cluster funding mechanism; and the pipeline arrangements for the funding of new Commonwealth supported places.

Now think back to that "interdepartmental" assessment undertaken by the former Minister for Education, Science and Training, Brendan Nelson, when he promised to review the indexation formulae for university block grants in order to obtain the necessary votes of independent Senators in order to gain passage of his Higher Education Support Act of 2003.

In April 2004 TFW wrote:

...universities are becoming increasing windy about the Minister for Education, Science and Training, Brendan Nelson's reticence regarding his promised indexation review. Without that promise the independent Senators would not have voted for his higher education reform bill.
    The author of HECS, Professor Bruce Chapman has told The Australian, "With wages and related benefits making up around two-thirds of university costs, it is clear that for the sector to maintain quality and quantity of their output there would need to be a commensurate change in revenue when wages increase.
    "This means that every year that a university's enterprise bargaining agreement delivers an increase in average remuneration roughly in line with professional or other earnings in the community is also a year the university experiences an effective cut in real government support."

    And just to keep the record straight, the 25% increase in course fees permitted by Dr Nelson's reform bill comes nowhere near making up the difference.

And what has this to do with Ms Bishop's "Interdepartmental Steering Committee"?

Gavin Moodie of Queensland's Griffith University observed when Dr Nelson announced the decision not to adjust indexation:

The indexation review was conducted by the Department of Education, Science and Training in co-operation with the Department of Finance and Administration, and in consultation with the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and the Treasury. It seeks to justify the Government's indexation policy and is a combination of half-truths and tendentious assertions. It typifies a government that no longer sees the need to persuade those outside its favoured circle.

As the Queen of Hearts pronounced, "Sentence first, verdict afterwards."