Media Releases

The Higher Education Sectors Stands United on August 8

3 Aug 17

On August 8th, the Higher Education Sector will be united in one message: to bin the higher education bill. The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) will be joining the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) and the National Union of Students (NUS) on August 8th in protest of the Higher Education Reform Bill.

This legislation is set to hobble the Australian research and innovation economy and ruin our ability to compete on an international scale. It is the next step in punishing Australian students for the mistakes of government budget mismanagement. Not only do universities provide a huge boost to the Australian economy, they are also some of the biggest employers wherever there is a campus.

These cuts could result in lost jobs, suffering regional hubs, struggling graduates, and seriously hurt one of Australia’s biggest exports. Then there is the moral argument. How can the Australian government look young Australians in the eye when all they do is cut away at our future?

These protests will be occurring at all universities that understand their role in society and where academic freedom is encouraged. We are calling on all postgraduate students to join with their local NTEU branches at campus events on August 8th.

Information about the events that are happening at university campuses can be found here http://paymoregetless.org.au/news/events

CAPA National President, Peter Derbyshire Says:

“The sector is united in its rejection of this package. Staff, students and universities all know what is at stake regardless of the Minister’s rhetoric”

“The cuts to funding and the increase in fees directly impacts the ability of universities to produce the Australian graduates needed into Australia’s future. The cuts are nothing more than looking for short-sighted gains instead of focusing on long term economic growth.”

“The last Higher Education package we soundly rejected and that should have been the end of the discussion regarding cuts and increased fees. But this package is more of the same showing no innovation in the government’s policy decisions.”

END

For Comment: National President Peter Derbyshire

m: 0435 047 817

e: president@capa.edu.au