Jerome Laxale (Bennelong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Bennelong is home to Macquarie University. With over 40,000 students and 3,000 staff, and a rich tapestry of academic disciplines, Macquarie University is a hub of knowledge and innovation and an incredibly important part of our local economy and our local community. Yet even at Macquarie University the impact of funding constraints, job uncertainty and increased workloads has not been overlooked. The challenges faced by our educators within the walls of the university reflect the broader narrative of the academic community nationwide.

The last 10 years have seen our higher education sector grapple with storms of uncertainty, funding woes and policy changes. It was a period marked by challenges that have deeply impacted students, academics and the very fabric of our educational institutions. Tuition fees have surged, and the burden of student debt has weighed heavily on the minds of our aspiring scholars. A decade ago the average debt of a university graduate was around $15,000. Today it has surged to a staggering $28,000, and the number of people with debts in excess of $100,000 has tripled in the past three years. This has left countless young minds grappling with the burden of financial uncertainty as they embark on their academic life. Academics and educators in the higher education sector have grappled with funding cuts totalling more than nine per cent in real terms since 2011 that have strained their ability to engage in groundbreaking research and deliver high-quality education.

The last decade has been marked by unprecedented uncertainty for university educators, casting a shadow over the stability of their roles within our institutions. This uncertainty has been fuelled by the casualisation of the academic workforce, a troubling trend that has seen a significant portion of educators trapped in precarious short-term contracts. In fact, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the proportion of university employees on casual contracts has surged to nearly 40 per cent, making the lives of these dedicated individuals a constant struggle to secure stable employment. This precariousness is intricately linked to the burgeoning workloads our academics face.

As we all know, quality education requires time—time for research, time for mentorship and time of innovation. However, over the past decade the academic workforce has experienced an alarming increase in workloads. According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency, academics in Australia have experienced an average increase of nearly 20 per cent in teaching hours over the past decade, a trend that compromises the quality of both teaching and research. This surge in workload is not merely a numerical statistic. It is a real burden that our educators bear day in and day out. The pressure to juggle research, teaching and administrative duties often comes at the expense of one or more of these essential components of academia. As educators strive to provide meaningful and impactful education, their ability to dedicate time to nurturing students, engaging in research and contributing to the intellectual discourse has been severely hampered.

In the regions, where educational access is even more of a challenge, the difficulties have been particularly pronounced. In the past decade, rural and regional areas have witnessed a decline in higher education enrolment by rates of nearly 20 per cent. The promise of a university education, which should be a beacon of hope for every young Australian, has seemed distant for those residing outside metropolitan areas. The stress and pressure on the higher education sector is why the Albanese government was elected with a commitment to reform the industry and ensure that education is accessible to all who seek it.

The Higher Education Support Amendment (Response to the Australian Universities Accord Interim Report) Bill 2023 amends the Higher Education Support Act to implement priority recommendations of the Australian Universities Accord interim report, released by the Minister for Education on 19 July 2023. Professor Mary O'Kane AC, Professor Barney Glover AO, Ms Shemara Wikramanayake, the Hon. Jenny Macklin AC, Professor Larissa Behrendt AO and the Hon. Fiona Nash showed tireless commitment through their roles in the accord team to deliver a report that would provide key recommendations to empower students, support universities and drive the engine of progress in this sector.

Central to the bill's objectives is the commitment of the Albanese government to widen the doors of opportunity for every Australian to pursue higher education if they seek it. This is not just a promise. It is a reflection of our belief in the transformative power of higher education. The bill resonates with our government's commitment to action, as evidenced by its resolute implementation of priority actions outlined in the Australian Universities Accord interim report. As we delve into the provisions of the bill, we unearth a tapestry of reforms that hold the potential to reshape the landscape of higher education, not only in Bennelong but across the nation.

Firstly, the bill sets its sights on creating university study hubs, not just confined to sprawling campuses but strategically situated in regional areas and outer suburbs. Imagine for a moment the power of knowledge reaching beyond the boundaries of cities, touching lives in regional and rural areas. These hubs are not merely bricks and mortar. They symbolise the democratisation of education, a leap towards more-equitable access. By bringing the university experience closer to home, we tear down geographical and logistical barriers, empowering individuals who may previously have been held back by our tyranny of distance.

Secondly, this bill will remove the 50 per cent pass rule. We know that academic success is a journey with diverse trajectories. We recognise that students are not just statistics but unique individuals, each with their own rhythm of learning. The pass rate requirements were originally introduced in January 2022 by the former coalition government as part of its Job-ready Graduates Package to dissuade students from continuing courses they are not academically suited for. The proposed removal of this rule is more than a policy shift; it's a declaration that learning is not defined by rigidity but by potential.

Furthermore, this bill brings with it a new era of holistic support in higher education, ensuring that universities stand ready to identify struggling students and offer them tailored assistance, whether academic or non-academic. Our commitment to equity echoes in the extension of demand-driven funding to embrace all Indigenous Australian undergraduate students. Fifty-six per cent of Australian kids today are assessed as being ready to start school, but only 34 per cent of Indigenous kids are. Ninety-six per cent of Australian 10-year-olds today meet the minimum literacy and numeracy standards, but only 77 per cent of Indigenous students do. Eighty-two per cent of young Australians finish high school today, but only 57 per cent of Indigenous Australians do. Almost one in two young Australian adults have a university degree today, but only seven per cent of young Indigenous Australians do.

By expanding the eligibility of demand-driven funding to include metropolitan First Nations students studying bachelor and bachelor honours courses, we directly support efforts towards achieving Closing the Gap outcome 6, which is to increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 25 to 34 years who have completed tertiary education to 70 per cent by 2031. This week in the House we heard the education minister state that if you're a young Indigenous man you're more likely to go to jail than to university. This is a harrowing statistic that this measure will seek to overcome.

In tandem with these improvements, the bill enshrines the principle of funding continuity, securing the pathway to higher education for those who seek it. By extending the Higher Education Continuity Guarantee, we stand as a bulwark against financial uncertainties that could obstruct the dreams of students. This guarantee serves as a testament to our resolve: education should not be compromised. The extension of the Higher Education Continuity Guarantee into the years 2024 and 2025 is not just an administrative decision; it's a lifeline of assurance—a beacon of hope for those who dare to dream.

Statistics paint a stark picture of the financial burdens that higher education can impose. Over the past decade the cost of higher education has escalated exponentially. According to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the average cost of university fees has risen by nearly 60 per cent, far outpacing the rate of inflation. This surge places an undeniable strain on students, especially on those from disadvantaged backgrounds who grapple with the prospect of accumulating debt that might shadow them well into their professional careers. The Higher Education Continuity Guarantee is a commitment to alleviating these financial anxieties and a promise that education will not be derailed by economic constraints. The provision of funding certainty, as stipulated in the bill, resonates as a testament to our support for equity students. By prioritising these students in funding arrangements, we recognise the value of diversity within our academic community. We acknowledge that economic challenges should never be a roadblock to a higher education.

These measures are an important start to university reform in Australia. There is so much more to be done, but they represent a measured and principled response from the Albanese government to restore the higher education sector back to its former glory. After a decade of cuts and neglect from those opposite, this is a good start to getting universities and their students back on track. I commend the bill to the House.

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