Minister for Education Announces Higher Education Review. (March 13, 2008)

The federal Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, speaking today to the Australian Financial Review Higher Education Conference announced that the government will begin a review of "Australian Higher Education, to begin this month.

Details of the review are available though its website.

The review's terms of reference?

According to Mr Gillard's media release and the address she gave to the Australian Financial Review Higher Education Conference today:

Emeritus Professor Denise Bradley AC, National President of the Australian College of Educators and former Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of South Australia, will chair the Review Expert Panel. Other members of the Review Expert Panel will be:

• Mr Peter Noonan, Workforce Consultant -- consultant in vocational and higher education with experience in vocational education in the Commonwealth, Queensland and Victorian Governments;

• Dr Helen Nugent AO, Director of Macquarie Bank and Chair of Funds SA -- has an extensive background in business, higher education, the arts , and who chaired the 1999 Ministerial Inquiry into the Major Performing Arts; and

• Mr Bill Scales AO, current Chancellor of Swinburne University of Technology and Chairman of the Port of Melbourne Corporation.

The Review Panel will provide its report on priority action by the end of October 2008, and final report by the end of the year. The Review Panel will also decide in consultation with the Minister on the best way to disseminate review outcomes.

The Review will include consultations through face-to-face discussions and written submissions on issues papers. Papers and other relevant information will be made publicly available on the Higher Education Review website.

For further information or enquiries relating to the Review, email: HEreview@dest.gov.au.

 
Ms Gillard told the AFR Higher Education Conference that: "the review will consult with State and Territory tertiary education authorities and invite submissions from the sector and community. It will collaborate with and take account of the work of the Review of the National Innovation System and the Government¹s new skills advisory body Skills Australia."

Perhaps the overriding phrase in the terms of reference will rest with the interpretation of "In particular, the Review Panel will examine the current state of the Australian higher education system against international best practice", because it is followed immediately by "and assess whether the education system is capable of contributing to the innovation and productivity gains required for long term economic development and growth; and ensuring that there is a broad�]based tertiary education system producing professionals for both national and local labour market needs."

From the government's viewpoint do, Cambridge, Harvard, Oxford, Stanford contribute to best practice, if not, why not?

Just how long-term will be the Rudd government's view of what a higher education system should contribute to the commonweal.