Search Results

A review of Australia’s higher education system was undertaken by the Commonwealth Government in 2002. The Review began with the release of an overview paper entitled ‘Higher education at the crossroads’ in April 2002 (indexed at TD/TNC 71.381). The paper described some of the characteristics of the higher education sector and the challenges facing it. It raised a number of questions for debate and called for submissions on the issues raised. There were 355 submissions from a variety of stakeholders in response to the overview paper. This document, based on the outcomes of the review process, presents the Government’s blueprint for reform. It proposes increased Commonwealth investment of $1.5 billion over four years linked to progressively introduced reforms in areas such as teaching, workplace productivity, governance, student financing, research, cross sectoral collaboration and quality. Show less

The Australian Government is undertaking a comprehensive review of the higher education sector to ensure that Australia’s higher education institutions are best placed to contribute to the nation’s future. This overview paper outlines the expectations of higher education and sets out some of the characteristics of the current system, the challenges the system faces and a number of the key issues that affect higher education. It raises a number of questions that are intended to inform the debate and invites comments and submissions on the issues it raises as well as on other issues relating to higher education. Included as attachments are: Background and statistics; Main policy developments of the last thirty years; Some different national structures of higher education; Diversity and performance of Australian universities.

The issues paper ‘Varieties of learning: the interface between higher education and vocational education and training’ is indexed at TD/TNC 71.378. Show less

This review of Australia's educational policy, undertaken in 1976, focused on the education and training needs of, and provision for, young people entering working life. It was carried out as part of the program of OECD's Education Committee. The review focused on the following nine issues: (1) possible divergences between the specific objectives of education as perceived by people within education and those perceived by society at large; (2) the possibility of organisational and administrative defects which might prevent the education system from fulfilling its desired social role; (3) the after effects of the massive expansion of tertiary education in the late 1960s and early 1970s; (4) the effects of the present economic recession and the associated high level of unemployment; (5) possible worsening structural imbalances in the labour market of a secular nature; (6) the effects of earlier high immigration which may have led employers to neglect problems of labour supply; (7) possible inadequacies and distortions in the flow of information about the employment situation to young people in educational institutions; (8) the possibility that special difficulties are experienced on leaving school by particular groups such as Aborigines, recent migrants and some groups of females; and (9) possible changes in cultural and social attitudes that may have resulted in a widening of any generation gap. The report is presented in two parts: the main report, which is presented in part one, and a record of the review meeting where questions relating to the issues covered in the report were put to an official Australian delegation.

This report is complemented by a background report, 'Educational policy and planning: transition from school to work or further study' (indexed at TD/TNC 86.220). Show less

This examination of labour and employment policy in Australia was undertaken by the OECD at the request of the Australian Government. It is part of a series of country reviews designed to provide an opportunity for all OECD countries to benefit from each other's experience in this field. The examiners visited Australia in 1973 to discuss policy formulation around aspects identified as important by the Australian Government. The report is structured around these major areas: country background; forces confronting Australia in a world of change; labour utilisation in the context of economic growth; and a selected approach to Australian problems related to labour and industrial relations policies. A background paper, prepared by the then Commonwealth Department of Labour, was prepared to inform this discussion. Show less