Australia: Fees Don’t Work


TONY BLAIR has said that the Australian system of university funding
proves that top-up fees work. David Murray, a student in Australia spoke to
the socialist about his experiences.

IT WON’T be a surprise to many Australian students to
find out that the Australian model of university fee payment is being
adopted in England. On the surface it seems like a very equitable solution,
with the needs of both the government (they don’t have to pay as much in
education expenditure) and students (they won’t have to pay just yet) being
met. As usual though, this is rubbish. It is acting as a deterrent for
working class students seeking education.

Since the beginning of my studies in economics I have
reached a debt level of $15,000. On a number of occasions I have considered
leaving university. As I’m not entitled to a youth allowance, on top of this
I have to live at home and work up to 30 hours just to earn money for the
basics of textbooks, union fees and sundries like entertainment.

Working and living so far from the university campus has
led me to fail many subjects which I will have to pay for with a higher tax
burden. For people like myself the scheme has nothing to do with equity.
Most people I know have had similar if not worse experiences.

The Whitlam Labor government of 1972-75 brought about a
number of reforms, including free education at all levels. But after this
government was sacked free education was gradually whittled away. Free
education went from being seen as an investment to being seen as a cost.

First they introduced the HEAC fee for all students.
Then this was replaced by what is now known as the HECS (Higher Education
Contribution Scheme). Between 1989-1997 HECS was a flat contribution which
was indexed annually to inflation. Students have to pay HECS even on
subjects which they have failed or not completed.

After promising that no Australian would be worse off,
the Howard Liberal government brought in a three level HECS payment system.
Humanities at one end with law and medicine at the other.

Further ‘reforms’ which will take place next year
include means by which individual universities can charge higher fees for
their courses, and allow for more full-fee paying enrollments.

Unified action between staff and students is needed to
explode the myths surrounding bogus claims of equity, which Australian
experience has proven is a load of polly-waffle. The only time when there is
real equity in education is when education is free.