Grattan Institute modelling advocates lowering the HELP loan repayment threshold to $42,000 – calling it an “efficient and fair” solution to curb ballooning debt from unpaid loans. The current threshold stands at $54,126, though the federal Education Department estimates one-fifth ...
More »Remove barriers, then trigger ideas boom: report
“Welcome to the ideas boom,” is the catchcry of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. And universities are keen on the idea – they just want certainty it will happen. But now a report from Curtin University’s Bankwest Curtin Economic Centre (BCEC) has ...
More »MOOC to help teachers keep tempo as music evolves
In the ’60s, it was rock ‘n’ roll that got the kids’ ears ticking. In the ’70s and ’80s, hip-hop, disco and heavy metal had their glory days. Now, the compendium of emerging electronic genres is just one of the many beats of ...
More »Financial services trainers call for standalone degree
A major financial services educator wants the beleaguered financial planning industry to have its own degree, to help tighten up standards in the sector. Mentor Education Group, which styles itself as Australia’s largest privately owned financial services training company, welcomes federal ...
More »Stem cells need STEM cell: academics
Australia is poised to be a world leader in stem-cell science but universities must champion the cause for this to become reality, an expert has argued. A recent report from the Australian Academy of Science The Stem Cell revolution: Lessons ...
More »USYD readies fabulous jacaranda float for Mardi Gras
Glitz, glamour, glitter – three words that aren’t normally associated with universities. Except on Saturday, when the University of Sydney adds its colour to the rainbow parade of Sydney’s Mardi Gras. Getting the float up and running is a race against ...
More »Educational research neglects kids’ middle years: report
Educational research and policy has ignored students in their middle years and this neglect is increasing marginalisation, a new report has argued. The final report of the Australian Child Wellbeing Project (ACWP) – a collaboration between the Australian Council for ...
More »Inbound marketing’s potential impact
Education is big business. It’s Australia’s fourth-largest export earner and employs 8 per cent of the workforce. And the rise of the digital economy is pushing things along. Last year, Open Universities Australia recently celebrated 1 million enrolments, with 36 ...
More »#LetThemStay petition invokes cornerstone of ethics
Leading medical academics and community figures have invoked the ethical principles of health research to condemn asylum seeker treatment on Manus Island and Nauru, in an open letter to the prime minister. The World Medical Association’s Declaration of Helsinki, a ...
More »Elite unis hard to reach for good students lacking money, study finds
International research supports a warning from the outgoing University of Canberra vice-chancellor that Australia’s universities perpetuate inequality. Earlier in February, soon-to-retire professor Stephen Parker challenged the perceived purpose of higher education in remarks made to the TJ Ryan Foundation. In his ...
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