Search Results

On 28 August 2020, the Council on Federal Financial Relations (CFFR) established the new Federation Funding Agreements (FFAs) framework. Accordingly, under the Intergovernmental Agreement on Federal Financial Relations, payments to the States are now facilitated through schedules to the FFAs. This Agreement between the Commonwealth of Australia and the states and territories (New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory, and the Northern Territory) contribute to the delivery of specified initiatives in the Education and Skills sector. It consolidates and rationalises National Partnership Agreements, Project Agreements and Schedules under the National Partnership for Streamlined Agreements in the Education and Skills sector, into Schedules under this agreement. It also provides a framework for facilitating future funding initiatives in the Education and Skills sector.

Edited excerpts from publication and publisher's website. Show less

The challenge of funding a high quality higher education system, ensuring it has the capacity to help meet the increasing demand for high level skills in the economy and the aspirations of students, has been an ongoing concern for successive Australian governments over many years. This paper reviews the findings and recommendations of significant reviews of Australia's higher education funding system from the 1988 Dawkins white paper through to the 2014 'Review of the demand driven funding system'. It summarises the challenges identified and responses proposed across that period as well as some recent international literature about higher education reform. What is clear from the survey of major reviews from 1988 to the present is the similarity of issues that were of concern to governments of the day. Successive governments have sought to build and fund a higher education system to meet the need for high level skills and innovative research for the Australian economy. The challenge for all governments has been how to enable greater numbers of students to access the benefits higher education offers - in terms of employment, earnings, social and cultural opportunities - while ensuring the system remains fair, high quality and affordable for both individuals and taxpayers.

The number of domestic higher education students has more than doubled since 1989 and, as student numbers have grown, they have come from more diverse social, economic and academic backgrounds. The number of providers and their diversity has also grown, with around 20 new public universities since the late 1980s and the emergence of significant numbers of non-university providers. The proportion of the Australian working age population with a bachelor degree or higher qualification has tripled since 1989 to just over 25 per cent. Direct Australian Government funding for teaching, learning and research has grown both in absolute and real terms. The paper concludes that Australia is not unique in facing this growth and higher education systems around the world are increasingly moving from elite to mass systems, and beyond to universal systems.

Edited excerpts from publication. Show less

The annual report records the activities, operation, and achievements of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Department of Education and Training. The department provides: Government primary and high school education; registration of non government schools; vocational education and training (VET) services; registration of VET training organisations; special education services; and early interventions services for children under five years of age. The report details the operations and achievements during the year and provides financial statements. On 17 May 2011, the Department of Education and Training was renamed the Education and Training Directorate.

Edited excerpt from publication. Show less