Some observations and reflections on the federal budget from a non-university perspective. By Tim Smith. The relevant paper in the federal budget documents on education ‘Transforming Australia’s Higher Education System’ is something of a misnomer. A more accurate title might ...

Tom Karmel explores the implications of the economic downturn for vocational education and training. It seems only yesterday that the big issue for Australia’s education and training system was how to address skill shortages. How quickly things change. Now the ...

Melbourne college accused of offering grades for cash A Melbourne training college has been accused of being involved in a cash-for-upgrades scam, allegedly taking bribes from foreign students to upgrade their marks. An investigation by The Age has also uncovered ...

The government has delivered strongly on its social inclusion benefit. Now it’s up to individual institutions to make sure the real work happens, says Trevor Gale. At one level, there were few surprises in last week’s federal budget commitment to ...

The government isn’t investing in research and innovation despite the downturn; it is investing in them because of it and beyond, writes Kim Carr. Labor came to office already knowing that Australia’s innovation system was in trouble. We lagged behind ...

Universities continue to battle it out for a market share, writes Joseph Gora. In an interview with The Age, famed biographer and scourge of bloated rhetoric Don Watson noted that an ugly “business model” had percolated into almost every aspect of ...

Does the basic qualification for a VET trainer provide the foundation for development as a professional teacher, asks John Mitchell. There is continuing debate in the VET sector about the value of the minimum qualification required for a trainer and ...

Kevin Rudd’s compact with Australia’s youth, which was announced with much fanfare just two weeks ago, has been overlooked in last week’s budget. Instead of attracting new money, it is expected the 135,000 estimated places will be funded via a ...

Informal learning examined NCVER last week released ‘Informal learning at a glance’, which examines learning in various contexts, from the workplace to the home, and through technology and the mass media. Informal learning, by far the most prevalent form of ...

Public universities which place a strong emphasis on academic, business and corporate governance are afforded the best prospects of long-term success, says Garry Carnegie. Organisations of all types require the achievement and maintenance of good or effective governance. Indeed, organisations ...