Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to welcome New South Wales Minister John Ajaka, who is with us today. I congratulate the New South Wales Liberal government for their understanding of the importance of a genuine needs based funding model and for standing their ground on agreements that were struck but which this government fails to honour.

Today, I want to draw the minister's attention to the detrimental consequences of his government's plans to cap places, introduce student fees and institute a tender process for university enabling courses. Make no mistake: the $3,200 fee being proposed by the Turnbull government will repel tens of thousands of low-income and disadvantaged students from enrolling in enabling courses, especially since these courses, unlike diplomas or bachelor degree programs, do not result in any formal qualification. Thousands of potential students will be locked out of higher education entirely. At a time when Australia should be staking our place in a global knowledge economy by investing in our people and developing our national skills base, it is utterly counterproductive to discourage participation in higher education

As the nation's oldest and largest provider of enabling programs, the University of Newcastle and the lower Hunter region more broadly has, perhaps, the most to lose from this proposal. The University of Newcastle currently runs three enabling programs—Yapug, Newstep and Open Foundation—which provide targeted training and tertiary study pathways for Indigenous and mature age students, as well as recent school leavers aged between 18 and 20. Together, these programs have helped over 42,000 students gain entrance into higher education since 1974. In fact, today close to 20 per cent of the current student cohort at the University of Newcastle entered their degree through an enabling program. That is how significant these programs are. They play a critical role in supporting thousands of disadvantaged students into degrees. Indeed, many participants are the first in their families to have attended universities. Many have to contend with multiple obstacles in order to succeed, but it is no coincidence that Newcastle has 1,000 Indigenous students enrolled. It is no coincidence that the University of Newcastle trains more than half of this nation's Indigenous doctors. Those incredible successes are directly attributable to the decades of hard work and Newcastle's steadfast commitment to delivering equity in education through high-quality enabling programs.

Last month, I had the opportunity to meet an outstanding woman, Makayla Guest, a second-year Indigenous student at medical school at the University of Newcastle. Makayla directly credits the university's Yapug enabling program for allowing her to reach her potential. Her words tell the story much better than I could. Makayla said:

Never in my remotest dreams would I have thought that I would have the opportunity to be studying to be a medical doctor. I never believed that I would have the ability to achieve and participate in something so meaningful. Not just meaningful to myself, but also, my family, my friends and my Mob.

For Makayla, and the tens of thousands of others just like her, it was the enabling program that gave her the confidence and the skills to undertake higher education. Like me, these students are deeply worried about this government's plan to cap places, introduce student fees and implement a tender process for universities' enabling courses.

Indeed, since the 2017 budget was released, I have been inundated with heartfelt calls and messages, from current and former students as well as university staff, about the dire impacts this proposal will have for our communities. They are all asking similar questions. So, on behalf of them, I ask the minister: what is this government's commitment to equity in education? How will the next cohort of Indigenous students, of those who are first in family to go to uni, of women and of potential students from low income families gain access to university? With the exceptional successes of the University of Newcastle clear to see, why on earth would you consider contracting these programs out to private providers? Unlike universities, private providers have no specific equity mission or community obligations, and many have no previous experience in teaching students who have faced prior educational challenges. I ask the minister these questions.

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