Rudd Vows Education Revolution (1 Viewer)

[Smeed]

See this SMH article: http://www.smh.com.au/news/national...volution/2007/01/22/1169330827940.html?page=2

A few key quotes:

IN HIS first big pitch for the prime ministership, Kevin Rudd today will identify education as the most important economic policy issue for Labor at this year's election.

The Opposition Leader will call for "nothing less than a revolution in education" and warn that Australia's prosperity will hit the wall unless the quality and funding of education - from childhood to adulthood - is raised substantially.

"Our investment in human capital is essential for creating an innovative, productive workforce that can adapt to a rapidly changing world," it says. "We must embrace a new national vision - for Australia to become the most educated country, the most skilled economy and the best trained workforce."

Mr Rudd will say Australia's prosperity in recent years began with the economic reforms of the Hawke-Keating governments and has since been driven by the resources boom. But he will argue that the Howard Government has made little provision to sustain the economy when that boom inevitably ends. "Current policy settings are not enough to prepare Australia for the challenges ahead," the policy paper says.

"Every country in the region has lifted their game as we fall behind. You can't continue to lead in productivity if you're going to run 17th or 25th in education."

Public investment in universities has declined by 7 per cent since 1995, while the OECD average is a 48 per cent rise. Student fees and charges account for 22per cent of university revenue today, double that of 10 years ago. HECS fees have almost tripled in 10 years from $4.5 billion to $13 billion.

I'm glad to see that education has again become a top priority and I absolutely agree that it is ridiculous that government funding towards universities has been reduced in recent years while countries such as China have realised that a good education forms the foundation for an efficient workforce and hence a strong economy. However it remains to be seen what exactly Labour's policies will be and how they will fund their investments in the education system.

What do other people think of the current level of Government funding towards the various levels of the education system and what kind of policies would you like to see Labour come out with? Is Australia slowly falling behind other nations when it comes to education?

 

[treelovinhippie]

While I don't agree with his recent interest in chasing religious votes (religion and politics is a very, very dangerous mix)... if he recognises education as a fundamental part of the growing economy government strives for then good stuff!

I hope his plan also involves removing funding of private schools over public schools... that situation is completely irrational.

And hopefully a student support payment plan would be included. i.e. scrap Centrelink (even though I just spent the last 3 months trying to get it), and instead just give every student $200 a week. If the government can't afford it, just add that onto their HECS/HELP.

Paying back the money when you've got a job and earning nice figures would be a hell of a lot more fun than trying to study, cope with the whole moving out of home and going to uni thing and trying to house, clothe and feed yourself at the same time.

Something like that would not only promote more people to go to uni, it would boost the overall economy with more skilled employees, and it would boost the overall economy as uni students would be spending more with the extra money (the age bracket is notorius for spending). And I wouldn't be surprised if it reduced the sudicide rate amongst this age bracket with the reduced stress.

Now if only I could actually pass this idea onto Mr Rudd... one of the pitfalls of democracy

 

[Triangulum]

And hopefully a student support payment plan would be included. i.e. scrap Centrelink (even though I just spent the last 3 months trying to get it), and instead just give every student $200 a week. If the government can't afford it, just add that onto their HECS/HELP.

I think that should be means/asset-tested. It should be far less restrictive than it is now, and it should be variable depending on circumstances, but I don't think the government should be funding the uber-rich. Everyone else, though, should get all the cash. Including me.

Now if only I could actually pass this idea onto Mr Rudd... one of the pitfalls of democracy

Kevin.Rudd.MP@aph.gov.au

 

[jb_nc]

While I don't agree with his recent interest in chasing religious votes (religion and politics is a very, very dangerous mix)... if he recognises education as a fundamental part of the growing economy government strives for then good stuff!)

He was talking about religion acting as values for social justice which I think is fine. He wrote an essay in the journal "The Monthly" and the text is available on their website.

 

[mcs]

Definetly would like to see some better support for students..... centrelink system is a joke. It should stay means tested but at a fair level as well with everything properly taken into account. For I can't get a single scrap of money from Centrelink, even though my Dad is a cleaner and my mum only works part time (1-2 days a week) as a teacher. They arent exactly high paying positions and yet they earn too much for me to get any support to go to uni. But its such a farce anyway with the independence test.... I go to uni 4 hours away, paying rent etc but Im still seen as dependent on my parents and that it is 'reasonable' for me to live at home while attending uni. The whole system sucks. For I feel that it is unfair that you should be expected (which for probably 95% of uni students is the reality) to work while attending uni full time. You should be helped by the Government to go to uni, as you will be paying higher taxes in the future anyway if you go on and complete your degree (Well for most degrees!) so they are going to get their money back in the long run.

Sounds like Rudd could be on the right track but as with everything the Labor party does it will all depend if they have the balls to actually stick to their guns and come up with an alternative model that could actually work. My guess is they wont manage it, but at least Rudd seems to be looking closely at what has been a well disguised problem that has become worse under Little Georgie Howard.

 

[volition]

This is nothing but a ‘mythical shortage’, a non problem that has been posed in order to use a non solution to pull in the votes. There is no real shortage of productive talent that can be solved more effectively than letting people follow their own self-interest. A profession is something you choose as you follow market signals. If there is a shortage in any particular skills, then wages for this specialization would rise, pulling more people into these areas.

As for the desire to become the ‘smart nation’, this isn’t the best way to look at it. Over time(assuming no interference), we would become the nation that we are economically intended to be, whether we become “computerland” or “farmerland”. The nations that are different would all trade, allowing all the computer people to benefit from the farmers. This will have been chosen by the market and by people’s own choice, so this is the best possible outcome that we can hope for. There is a big difference between this style of system (the free market one), and the interventionist one, where Labor would rather have more people who work desk jobs, but without any real good reason for wanting it to be this way.

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/303/5661/1105 - “Supply Without Demand” – An article covering the American attempts to train more scientists than are required goes bad where “unemployment rates for scientists are going up; according to the American Chemical Society, they have doubled among chemists over the past 2 years.” Also, take into account that their wages are probably lower because there are more of them now, which is yet another side effect.

There is no need to take more money away from other people so that it may be used to educate where there is not enough true demand to educate. It may offend the sensibilities of people to think that not everyone can go to university and this kind of redistributive policy helps ease their minds, but it’s still not the best course of action to take.

Let shortages and surpluses solve themselves.

 

[sladehk]

yes rudd should eliminate our hecs

 

[Captain Gh3y]

Hey I know guys since there's apparently not enough educated people in this
country

The Government can assign professions to people (based on whim or perhaps standardised tests) at an early age and then force them to go to uni and follow that particular education and career path.

Uni places can be financed universally by sharply raising taxes or the government seizing full control of all profitable industries such as mining

That way all the profit being made off the current boom is being used to ensure we have a secure, educated future.

What could possibly be wrong with this idea?


And as for HECS, since there's currently a problem with people going overseas and not having to pay it back, the Government could keep track of everyone, possibly by microchip or otherwise, and ensure no one with a debt to The State leaves the country. This will be even more crucial once they introduce $200,000/year interest and CPI free loans to students to allow them to move to the city of their choice and live and do what they like while they complete their studies.

 

[P_Dilemma]

Hey I know guys since there's apparently not enough educated people in this
country

The Government can assign professions to people (based on whim or perhaps standardised tests) at an early age and then force them to go to uni and follow that particular education and career path.

Uni places can be financed universally by sharply raising taxes or the government seizing full control of all profitable industries such as mining

That way all the profit being made off the current boom is being used to ensure we have a secure, educated future.

What could possibly be wrong with this idea?


And as for HECS, since there's currently a problem with people going overseas and not having to pay it back, the Government could keep track of everyone, possibly by microchip or otherwise, and ensure no one with a debt to The State leaves the country. This will be even more crucial once they introduce $200,000/year interest and CPI free loans to students to allow them to move to the city of their choice and live and do what they like while they complete their studies.

AHAHA LOL

 

[treelovinhippie]

He was talking about religion acting as values for social justice which I think is fine. He wrote an essay in the journal "The Monthly" and the text is available on their website.

Not from what I heard. They had a thing on SBS or ABC called "Kevin Rudd: The God Factor" and he was saying that pretty early on once he had gained leadership, he brought the party together and had them analyse and discuss why the Family First Party gained a lot of votes in the last election with their religious values approach.

So that alone suggests to me he wants to find out how Family First won those votes... in other words, what policies/approaches can he use to please and win-over the religious voters.

Also Rudd put down as the person he most idols as some German guy (forget the name) who was known for saying/preaching that Christians should take action into their own hands if someone is acting 'immoral' (along those lines).

But that's a different topic

I think that should be means/asset-tested.

It's just a good idea, but government and 'good ideas' never mix. I was going to say it should be means tested, but on second thoughts I don't think it should be. There are only a limited number of students, and even the 'rich students' can still be declared independent after 18 months and get centrelink payments.

Heck, I wouldn't mind if the $200 was just added to my HECS/HELP. Another $30k on top of already massive course fees wouldn't be too bad when you're earning a $40k+ salary. Perhaps the government could subsidise half so I'd only have to pay $15k back.

>Definitely< agree with mcs having been in the same situation until recently.

 

[volition]

I reckon this thread could be moved to NCAP, we'd get more discussion going there.