Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Hansard source

Students from disadvantaged backgrounds are clearly underrepresented in Australian higher education. This is bad for the economy because it means that talent is being wasted. It is bad for Australian society because it means people are being excluded from opportunities that should be open to them. This is incompatible with Labor’s commitment to social justice. The government is introducing major reforms to deliver its ambition that students from disadvantaged backgrounds should make up some 20 per cent of undergraduate enrolments by 2025. These measures include support for universities to work more closely with schools and with vocational education and training providers. There are measures to reward universities that attract a higher number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and there are significant changes to make student income support more equitable— (Time expired)