University head backs ‘radical’ switch to free education
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Key points
- University of Melbourne vice chancellor Duncan Maskell says the normalisation of fees has entrenched the idea that higher education is only of benefit to individuals, and not to society.
- The Albanese government is currently examining issues of funding, access and affordability in higher education.
The head of Victoria’s oldest university has called for the reintroduction of free education for all domestic students.
In his annual address to staff, University of Melbourne vice chancellor Professor Duncan Maskell said it had become “sadly fashionable” to assume students would take out loans to pay university fees.
University of Melbourne vice chancellor Professor Duncan Maskell.Credit: Elke Meitzel
But he said the cost of education was a policy choice by governments, and other countries chose to make higher education largely free for their citizens.
The Albanese government’s universities accord is currently examining issues of funding, access and affordability in higher education.
Maskell said one of federal Education Minister Jason Clare’s stated goals was to improve equitable access to higher education.
“I contend that one of the most important radical changes that could be made to facilitate this would be once more to make education free to the Australian domestic student,” Maskell said.
It has become “sadly fashionable” to accept students will take out loans for degrees, says Maskell.Credit: Eddie Jim
University fees were abolished by the Whitlam government in 1974. The policy remained in place for 14 years.
Today’s students are struggling with rising living costs, plus higher fees for their education. HECS debts rose in line with inflation in June, adding $1760 to an average student loan of $24,771.
Maskell said on Tuesday night, in his fifth annual vice chancellor’s address, that he had been the beneficiary of a “free” education.
“It is unequivocally true, coming from my background, that if I had been required to take out a loan, I would not have gone to university,” he said.
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare aims to improve equitable access to higher education.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
“I suspect that the prospective burden of significant debt is still a big factor in people choosing not to go to university.”
Maskell said the normalisation of university fees had entrenched the idea that higher education was only of private benefit to individuals, not an advantage to society.
“This is a gravely mistaken emphasis, I would argue.”
He said the positive revenue implications from having more university-educated people in the country would “easily outweigh” any burden to public finances, with increased earnings naturally resulting in increased taxation.
“The essential point here is that the year-on-year public revenue at stake in funding student learning is not the main issue,” he said. “This is fundamentally about the kind of population that we want to shape for the future in this country.
“Of course, I am not arguing that there is no private benefit in education. But from a nation’s point of view, the private benefit is not, and should not, be the whole story that determines our policy choices governing student fees.”
Maskell also used his address to call for greater transparency around the cost of research and reiterated the university’s support for a Yes vote in the Voice referendum.
He said the University of Melbourne had emerged from the pandemic a stronger, more focused institution, resetting its approach in a number of important areas, including in responding to sexual harassment and the over-casualisation of its workforce.
The universities accord is the first broad review of Australia’s higher education system since 2008. It is due to report in December.
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