ANU's Vice-Chancellor Urges Government to Implement Higher Education Review's Recommendations But Questions  Vouchers. (January 9, 2009)

The Australian National University's vice-chancellor, Ian Chubb, back from his stay in the UK has urged Australia's Labor government to commit to the implementation of the Bradley Review of Higher Education's proposals to overcome the current situation where student income support through Austudy and the Youth Allowance does not adequately cover living costs. He told The Canberra Times' Emma MacDonald: ''Better supporting students must be a priority for this Government. If they really want to move to a more market driven system and to greater diversification then they must allow students the financial freedom to chose which university they want to go to.''

Then turning to the matter of the funding of university research: ''I have a saying that we have been chronically partially funded for way too long ... I was concerned that the review may not address the issue of research properly but I think it did and its recommendation should be a top priority if this Government is serious about supporting world-class universities.''

Addressing the matter of the depressed state of Australia's and the world's economies he had something of a bet each way: ''I have said before that I don't think our current global financial circumstances are going to enable the sector to get everything it needs and wants in the first year, but we can move forward with a clear commitment from the Government that [Professor] Bradley's recommendations are its aspirational objective.''

However, on the matter of voucher-based funding for students, a key recommendation of the Bradley review, Professor Chubb indicated he was not a supporter: ''I am not sure I understand the need for such a move; students can already decide where they study and universities get money for them through the government.''

But he was in agreement with the review's withholding support for a fully deregulated higher education system: ''If you move to a completely market-driven system, you could end up with a small number of the top universities skimming off the best students and creating something of a divide across the country.''