Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Higher Education Support Amendment (Response to the Australian Universities Accord Interim Report) Bill 2023. Very regrettably, this bill comprises a poor and, frankly, chaotic response to the Universities Accord interim report. It is more about the government being seen to be doing something rather than the Minister for Education, Mr Clare, undertaking cohesive, considered policy reform of the higher education sector, underpinned by evidence based policy and proper consultation.

The coalition does not support this bill because it removes a vital cost-of-living safeguard for Australian university students—the 50 per cent pass rule—which protects students who are failing their course from incurring massive student debt with nothing to show for it. This bill also represents bad policy because it includes a rushed and haphazard support-for-students policy which does not properly support students, whether it be on holding universities to account for deficient courses, ensuring that students complete their courses successfully or keeping students safe on campus. This policy is a totally inadequate response to the many ways the government needs to be stepping up and holding universities to account for every single aspect of their performance in order to put students first. That is the government's No. 1 responsibility—to put students first—and this bill does not do this.

In opposing this bill, I want to make it clear that the opposition does support the extension of regional university centres, which was an important measure of the opposition when we were in government. The regional university centres are a very important part of our support for regional students and one of a raft of many different policies.

I want to turn, firstly, to the 50 per cent pass rule. Under the Job-ready Graduates program, the coalition introduced a provision which required students to maintain a pass rate of 50 per cent or above for units of study they undertake. Students who have a low completion rate and do not meet this requirement lose eligibility for Commonwealth assistance, a Commonwealth supported place, and they must either pay for their course upfront, transfer to another course or withdraw from their studies. The rule commenced on 1 January 2022. A low completion rate is when a student has a fail rate of more than 50 per cent of units of study after he or she has attempted eight or more units of study in a bachelor-level or higher course—or four or more units in a higher education course lower than a bachelor course.

The 50 per cent pass rule was introduced not as a punitive measure but to protect students from accruing massive HECS debts—