Federal听parliament听looks听set to approve听the听latest attack on higher education after听the听Senate voted on October 8 to support the听Higher Education Support Amendment (Job Ready Graduates and Supporting Regional and Rural Students)听Bill 2020, which seeks to听hike fees for some university courses and reduce costs for others.
The听government claims to want more students studying 鈥渏ob-ready courses鈥 鈥 which it听believes will lead to greater employment after graduation.听But to do this, Education Minister Dan Tehan has proposed听large听fee hikes for some courses, while degrees viewed听as being 鈥渋n demand鈥澨齱ill听have听their fees听lowered.
Fees for humanities, law and communications courses, among others, are set to skyrocket, while听fees for听science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) will听be听reduced.
The National Union of Students (NUS)听has听described听the fees hikes for arts degrees of up to 113% times more expensive, and costing the equivalent of medicine degrees, as听鈥渉eartless and neglectful鈥. It said the bill would enforce a cut to funding when universities are already expected to lose $4 billion next year due to the coronavirus.
In addition, the bill seeks听to disqualify students from听being eligible for the听Higher听Education听Contribution听Scheme听if听they fail half of their first-year units.
Rather than听seeing听higher education as听a听fundamental human right, the听bill听affirms the neoliberal view that universities only exist to听fill听jobs. This is despite听the fact that听91% of听those finishing humanities听degrees听are in full-time employment within three years.
The听bill鈥檚 plan to听raise听fees condemns听young people to even听greater听debt. While the bill supposedly advantages those studying STEM by cutting those听course fees, no new funding has been allocated听to supplement听the听decrease in funding, and the average听government contribution to Commonwealth Supporter Places (CSP) is set to be lowered from 58% to 53%. The overall result听will be听a $2 billion cut from universities,听as reported by听The Saturday Paper.
Universities听will be听granted incentives听to enrol听students听in听the听more expensive courses.
Students and academics say the new funding arrangements are an听insidious culture war attack on humanities and critical thinking.听It has prompted听the biggest student mobilisations since former prime minister Tony听Abbott鈥檚 attempt to deregulate CSP in 2014.
While COVID-19 has limited听the numbers able to turn out at protests, the bill has generated a lot of debate.
The听lack of听coronavirus听funding听for university workers,听job losses听and听wage theft听at universities听are听additional motivations听for protest.
The National Tertiary Education Union said the bill 鈥渄oes nothing to address the funding and jobs crisis that is smashing our universities鈥澨齛nd that it would听destroy livelihoods and careers.
While听extra-parliamentary听opposition听has remained steady, the听Liberals have been听forced to negotiate听with cross-bench Senators,听as well as within听the听Coalition听as the bill is听predicted by the NUS to hurt regional students the most.听The Nationals settled for a modified definition of humanities courses, exempting social work from the fee hikes.
One Nation听came on board听quickly,听with ,听which some universities say will make it harder to discipline racist or sexist academics,听and听the reinstatement of听a听10% fee discount for students paying their HECS debt in advance.
Needing one听more听vote in the Senate,听the government turned its听attention to Centre Alliance鈥檚听Sterling Griff, and Senators听Jacqui Lambie and Rex Patrick.听The student movement managed to convince听the latter two to oppose the bill, with Lambie gaining widespread coverage for her refusal 鈥渢o be the vote to tell poor kids 鈥 to dream a little cheaper鈥 pitch.
Centre Alliance听agreed to support the听bill in exchange for the three South Australian universities being听reclassified as 鈥渞egional鈥,听from听low-growth metropolitan 鈥 thereby听attracting greater funding.听Students condemned听Centre Alliance听for听selling听out,听after it had criticised the bill.
The House of Representatives now needs to sign off on the amendments approved by the Senate.
However, as Varsha Yajman, an organiser with Students Against Fee Increases, noted, this is just the beginning for a new student movement that has been invigorated听by听people organising and taking action,听including听School Strike 4 Climate听(SS4C).
A former SS4C activist, Yajman said that听the intersection between the fight for student rights and other rights, such as having a safe climate, is having an impact on the student movement听and that听2021 鈥渋s where [the activism] will really flourish鈥.
[Leo Crnogorcevic is a听member-elect of the Monash Student Association Student Affairs Committee.]