CAPA Media Releases
CAPA issues regular media releases on education policy. CAPA's monitoring of the higher education sector ensures it is in a position to quickly provide a media response on policy initiatives by government that affect postgraduate students. CAPA ensures that the postgraduate student perspective is known and lobbies the State and Federal governments accordingly. Providing media releases is an effective way of highlighting the views and concerns of postgraduate students to the broadest audience.
Recognition of student need a positive step
The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) welcomes announcements in the 2007-2008 Federal Budget that recognise some targeted areas of student need, particularly in the case of postgraduates, and hopes that these set the foundation for improvements in access to student income support and broader equity measures in the future.
"We welcome the will on the part of the Federal Government to at least recognise that there are in fact areas of genuine student need, and take steps to begin to address them" CAPA President, Nigel Palmer said.
Broad access to student income support fundamental
The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) welcomes the inclusion of postgraduate and Indigenous students in the AVCC's student finances survey for the first time. This is significant, and the findings certainly help to illustrate the reality of what is going on “students are struggling to cope with living costs, debt, and study expenses, and are being forced to work more hours at the expense of their academic work" CAPA President, Nigel Palmer said.
More to be done to counter violence and intimidation
The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) deplores the recent violent attacks against members of the international student community at the Ourimbah campus at the University of Newcastle.
CAPA President Nigel Palmer said "Intimidation and attacks like this on international students are just not acceptable- no way. International students here in Australia make a huge contribution, to our universities and to our communities. And this is the thanks they get? Attacks like this are utterly deplorable.
Priority for education, a positive start
The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) welcomes the New Directions Paper for Australian education released by Opposition Leader, Kevin Rudd and Shadow Minister for Education and Training, Stephen Smith.
Bishop turns to religion to fill VSU void
In recent speeches, Minister Bishop has been talking up what she sees as the many valuable aspects of university life including "the opportunity to learn about new sports, partake in drama and debating, sing in the choir, join the jazz band... the opportunity for employment on campus, whether paid or voluntary, and the gaining of essential employability skills for future years" and "strong attention to student welfare and pastoral care".
Unis to benefit from ALP Higher Ed reforms - room for improvement
The ALP white paper on higher education released today by the Federal Opposition offers the hope of financial relief for the sector. We particularly value the commitment to increased funding and adequate indexation. Combined with the previous undertaking to repeal the IR impositions, the future of universities and their staff and students can only be brighter.
Income support for postgraduate students
The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations is encouraged by the recognition from vice-chancellors and the Minister for Education, Science and Training of the longstanding disparity in income support available to undergraduate and postgraduate university students. Unlike financially disadvantaged undergraduate students, postgraduate students in a similar situation are generally deemed ineligible for income support.
VSU Transition Fund: Unfair, Unworkable, Discriminatory
CAPA has today described Family First Senator Steve Fielding a disgrace after failing to ensure that student organisations - which provide essential representation and advocacy - be included in the government's $81.6 million transitional funding grants.
The VSU transition fund and its allocation in the 2006-07 Budget will ensure that nothing other than sport and recreation are funded.
Surplus should be invested in Australia's future
CAPA welcomes the small specifically targeted funding allocation for research within this year's Budget. However, this funding in no way makes up for the decade of neglect of the entire higher education sector over which the Howard government has presided.
CAPA believes that the Federal government must invest substantial sums in the sector in order to reverse the damage caused by policy failures which have seen universities starved of funding for years.
CAPA Calls on the Bracks Government to Grant Transport Concession to all University Students
Following the successful anti-discrimination case brought against the NSW government Department of Transport and State Rail, the Administrative Decisions Tribunal found in favour of international students who had been discriminated against under NSW law and denied concession travel on public transport. CAPA endorses and supports the NOT FARE campaign in Victoria to secure concession travel for both domestic and international students and calls on NSW and Victoria to adhere to the ADT's decision.
