"A Problem Postponed is a Problem Half Solved" -- Long Live the Review. (July 11, 2008)

Though the bon mot is usually attributed to Winston Churchill, said to have been uttered during the Battle of Britain, the following is reported in the December 13, 1938 Hansard (UK):

Lord Lloyd:

The game of reference to committees still goes merrily on, on the principle, presumably, that a problem postponed is a problem half solved. I hope noble Lords will excuse me if I speak rather strongly on this committee question, but it is a feature which is causing grave disquiet in the country. I repeat, not only on this matter but on almost every other matter, the incapacity and lack of the quality of decision which seems to actuate His Majesty's Government to-day is causing grave disquiet.

All of which is in aid of University of Melbourne professorial fellow Vin Massaro's opinion piece in The Australian's Higher Education Supplement this week.

Denise Bradley [Chair of the government's Higher education Review], told us her team was prepared to make some bold proposals for change in higher education.

Several such reviews over the past 50 years have looked at the whole sector, or dealt with aspects of it. We have also had several senate inquiries, select committees and House of Representatives inquiries...

...apart from the Murray report of 1957 and the Martin report of 1964, no major review has been implemented.

The main changes over the past 30 years have been brought about by ministers deciding to act either through ministerial statements (Wal Fife on college amalgamations in 1981), green and white papers (Dawkins in 1988), or discussion papers followed by action (Brendan Nelson, Higher Education at the Crossroads, 2002).

In the case of a review, the recommendations will be clear enough, [but] ...a minister is... left with some good architectural drawings, but with few of the tools necessary to ensure the edifice will still stand as walls are moved and foundations compromised [when confronting Cabinet].

So why do we have reviews? They can give the appearance of doing something when you're not -- or don't intend to do anything for some time -- but want to be seen as prepared to listen to what people are saying. They can be used to test the political boundaries of reform alternatives, in case you might want to do something. Or they can prepare the political ground for something you do intend to do.

And right now it's anyone's guess just what Prime Minister Rudd has in mind -- for the "education revolution" was enunciated by Kevin Rudd during the run up to the 2007 election. So far attempting to give every senior secondary school student in years 9 to 12 access to a computer at school -- come to mean a computer for every lap -- is the most concrete example.

As regards higher education, at the moment it looks very much as though "a problem postponed is a problem half solved", which presumably leaves the other half unresolved -- another problem of entanglement.

Is it a worry? You bet it is, because nothing is more certain than if Kevin don't do it, it ain't gonna get done, and that is not a pleasant prospect for Australia.

John Howard casts a long shadow over the Liberal Party and will continue to do so for many years to come, and his anti-intellectualism wears hobnailed boots.