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The objectives of the NT Indigenous Higher Education Policy Review were to: (a) Explore Indigenous perspectives of underlying principles of success in Indigenous higher education policy; (b) Identify cultural, socio-political and environmental factors that enable successful policy implementation from the perspectives of Indigenous 'users' of higher education policy; and (c) Explore the relationship between Indigenous perspectives of successful Indigenous higher education policy and practice, Northern Territory and national higher education policy, and Indigenous higher education enrolment and completion outcomes, in order to inform future policy reform and development.

This research took a mixed-methods approach incorporating: a policy review; semi-structured interviews with Indigenous higher education stakeholders; and Indigenous student higher education enrolment and completion outcomes data.

The project successfully explored Indigenous perspectives of success in higher education in the NT, and how higher education policy can most effectively cater to their needs. It is well documented that for policies to be effective, they must be guided by the needs and priorities of those who are served by the actions of governments and organisations and underpinned by long-term financial investment. The design, data collection, analysis and reporting processes of this research project were informed by the perspectives of Indigenous people who have extensive experience in both the NT and National higher education settings. They have seen various policy approaches develop and evolve over many years. It is these experts - with their lived experiences of implementing and using Indigenous higher education policies - as Indigenous people, whose perspectives matter. Although these policy lessons have been developed through exploring the history of Indigenous higher education policy in the NT, the underpinning themes of control and ownership are highly relevant to the national setting. Learnings from this project are particularly urgent for policy-makers to consider given current proposed reforms to the higher education sector. If deregulatory measures continue, we posit that this will have profound impacts on the engagement and participation of Indigenous people within higher education across the NT and nationally. Implementation of higher education policy goals - economic, social, cultural or otherwise - will continue to be constrained, and so too the achievement of 'success' no matter how it is defined.

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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

TAFE Futures is a national inquiry into the future of the public TAFE system. The Inquiry was commissioned by the Australian Education Union (AEU) in 2006 to determine how TAFE can best operate in the future to ensure it is meeting the skills and education needs of its students, employers and local communities. The key findings of the Inquiry include: TAFE is working well with students and employers, indicating high levels of satisfaction at the service provided; two-thirds of employers want training done through TAFE; the federal government remains largely hostile to TAFE, continuing to favour policy responses to skills shortages that marginalise TAFE and providing funding opportunities that favour private providers; courses and services are being cut due to lack of funds; significant re-thinking is required about some of the national directions for training packages and the application of aspects of competency-based training; fees and charges are a barrier to the participation of many in the community who need general education and training; the TAFE workforce is one of the most casualised in the economy and these high levels of casualisation are counterproductive in maintaining a quality and accessible provider; and the squeeze on resources has eroded TAFE's commitment to access, equity and social justice. The contents are: The TAFE Futures Inquiry: a dialogue about the future with those who make TAFE work; Part A: The TAFE story and the challenges of continuity and change; Part B: What Australians say about TAFE: a summary of national consultations; Part C: What Australians say about TAFE: a summary of submissions; Part D: New futures for TAFE: renewal and change. Included as appendices are: Current research on partnerships in VET and TAFE: opportunities for the future of TAFE; Terms of reference for the TAFE Future Inquiry; Bibliography. Show less

At a fundamental level, the role of tertiary education is increasingly being questioned, revealing deep uncertainty about its broader purpose and value. The authors of this volume suggest that the impetus for a rethinking of many of the traditional features of the tertiary education system in Australia is already present, with concerns for, among other things, the transparency of information for prospective students, student retention and outcomes under the demand-driven policy settings, the lack of research-industry engagement, and the overall value of tertiary education to the economy and society. The volume begins with a broad-brush overview of the current tertiary sector and the issues it is facing. The chapters then offer ideas for transforming Australian tertiary education. Each is grounded in current issues or trends but goes beyond present thinking to propose ways in which policy and practice might make major advances. The volume has been purposefully framed around tertiary education, rather than higher education, since a key decision for policy makers is how best to resolve current funding and regulatory anomalies created by the inefficiencies and complexities of the current system architecture.

The contents are as follows: Foreword / Richard James and Leo Goedegebuure; Futures for Australian tertiary education: developing an integrated, coherent policy vision / Sarah French, Paula Kelly and Richard James; A framework for differentiation / Leo Goedegebuure, Vin Massaro, Lynn Meek and Alan Pettigrew; Funding an expanded tertiary system: designing a coherent financing architecture / Gwilym Croucher, Jonathan Chew and Peter Noonan; Organising, leading and managing 21st century universities / Geoff Sharrock; To what degree?: alternative micro-credentialing in a digital age / Sandra Milligan and Gregor Kennedy; Engaging university teachers in design thinking / Kristine Elliott and Jason M. Lodge; Analytics of what?: negotiating the seduction of big data and learning analytics / Gregor Kennedy, Linda Corrin and Paula de Barba; Advancing equity in the Australian higher education system / Matthew Brett and Andrew Harvey; Universities and the evolving graduate labour market / Andrew Norton; Standards and quality in Australian higher education / Pip Pattison; Vocational education and the innovation agenda: towards the creation of effective innovation eco-systems / Leo Goedegebuure and Ruth Schubert; Internationalisation of Australian higher education: where for from here? / Douglas Proctor and Sophie Arkoudis; Redesigning the higher education workforce: a new architecture / Elizabeth Bare and Emmaline Bexley.

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The 'Mapping Australian higher education' series of reports aims to provide information on trends, policy and performance in the Australian higher education sector. The 2018 report is the fourth in this series. Chapter 1 explains how higher education is defined in Australia, the different types of higher education provider, the various types of qualification, and what makes universities distinctive among higher education providers. Chapter 2 reports on student trends, including enrolment numbers, courses chosen, and the mix of students on campus. It also discusses how students enter the higher education system. Chapter 3 examines the student experience, including subject fail rates and satisfaction with teaching. Chapter 4 looks at the higher education workforce, including why people become academics, their employment arrangements, and their pay. Chapter 5 looks at research in Australian universities, including what topics are researched and research outputs. Chapter 6 provides information on how higher education is funded, including overall levels of funding, the income-contingent HELP student loan scheme, and research funding. Chapter 7 outlines how per student funding levels are determined, and how student places are distributed among higher education providers. Chapter 8 describes the expanding scope of the Commonwealth Government in higher education, the key government departments and the higher education interest groups. Chapter 9 examines higher education's benefits to the public and employers, including whether higher education graduates meet employment needs, the quality of university research, and public satisfaction with Australian universities. Chapter 10 reports on graduate employment and income, showing differences by discipline, age and gender.

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Earlier reports from this series are indexed in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 107.739, TD/TNC 111.329, TD/TNC 118.435 and TD/TNC 125.429. Show less