That a Minister for Education has the gall to try and threaten the parliament into passing his questionable legislation and "hold the nation to ransom" so that he can have a "victory" displays all the worst that this federal government has on show ("1700 researchers become the bargaining chip in Government fight to uncap university fees", smh.com.au, March 15). Christopher Pyne's policy and behaviour are beyond the pale and he should be removed from the portfolio.

 There was never any proper consideration of university policy or governance, no proper debate of Pyne's sudden ideological fix to take money out of the university sector and privatise tertiary education. No sensible country with a university system of such high quality as ours would dream of wrecking it with Pyne's plans. 

Before any changes are made, there should be a proper lengthy investigation of the options for the future of universities, how quality, the preservation of knowledge and paths to innovation might best be progressed, and how inclusion, diversity and affordability for students can be assured. The university system has been starved of funds for years, classes are already huge, and more money is needed in the federal budget to keep up even current standards. As a separate issue, more money needs to go into research in this country if it is to maintain a healthy economy.

Barbara McGarity Artarmon

read more: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/smh-letters/pynes-proviso-on-fees-beyond-the-pale-20150315-144f5t.html

The Federal Government has sidelined a $1.9 billion budget saving in its higher education package, while forging ahead with its push to allow universities to set their own fees.

The measures — fee deregulation and the funding cut — were at the heart of the Coalition's university overhaul, which seemed doomed to fail for a second time in the Senate and have now been split into two separate pieces of legislation.

Education Minister Christopher Pyne has also backed down on his threat to withdraw $150 million for research unless the Senate passed the higher education package.

The dramatic change in tactics will break an apparent deadlock in negotiations with the eight crossbench senators — most of whom have opposed the package.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-16/pyne-backs-down-on-research-cuts/6322504

Here we are at the eleventh hour, with a "different" package from Pyne... Pyne is desperate for a victory and he desperately wants his elitist universities... Don't give in. The new "package" is another CON-trick by the CONservatives. It's their foot in the door to more crap... THEY ARE NOT GENUINE. Look, they tried to blackmail you, they tried to bully you now they;re trying to bribe you: THE RESULT WILL BE THE SAME. Fiddling with the cash values is only a side issue. The issue is that the CONservatives want universities to be ELITIST for the rich — and you the poor people will pay for it, but won't be able to get in... There is no need for the Turdy government to push for change in the funding of university. What is proposed here By whiny Pyne is to turn higher education into businesses like mining and the stock market. Eventually the little guys looses out. Piss Pyne's prickly plan out...

As the author says in the link above, "Back in the ski resort town of Aspen, Colorado, Bloomberg rattled off more advice he would give to ordinary New Yorkers: they should drop their college ambitions and focus on becoming waiters in some of the city's many high-end restaurants."

This is what Pyne wants to do to our higher education... 

Mr Pyne had said on Sunday that continued funding for the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) was "inextricably linked" to the passage of the government's bill to deregulate the funding of universities, a position he abandoned on Monday, pledging to continue to fund the organisation even if fee deregulation did not occur.

"Politics is a fast moving business," Mr Pyne said with a smile at the beginning of the interview. "What I've said consistently... is that the deregulation of universities is the central core of this reform, and that everything else is up for negotiation."

Mr Pyne said he had found the $150 million needed to fund the NCRIS another way. When Mr Speers pushed him how he had done that, Mr Pyne first kept repeating that he'd "fixed it."

"I've fixed it. I'm a fixer... I've fixed it by funding it in another way which you'll find out in the budget," he said.

"Why can't you tell us?" asked Mr Speers, to which Mr Pyne replied: "I want it to be a surprise for you."

read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/i-want-it-to-be-a-surprise-for-you-christopher-pyne-smiles-through-grilling-from-david-speers-20150316-1m0p91.html

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Hello...

I thought the Turdy government was going to be a GOVERNMENT OF NO SURPRISES... Hello?... whotapen'd? Well Turdy got in and brought in his bag of tricks...

"Scientists needs a sound mastery of mathematics and clever investigation of nature, while politicians only need bullshit to excel in the art of deception, while suffering from ischial bursitis"

                                                                          Guiseppe Leonisky

The Senate has voted down the Federal Government's legislation to uncap university fees, the second time the Coalition's higher education changes have been rejected.

Labor and the Greens were joined by several crossbench senators to defeat the bill 34 votes to 30.

Independent senators Nick Xenophon, Jacqui Lambie and Glenn Lazarus, Ricky Muir from the Motoring Enthusiasts Party, and Palmer United Party senator Dio Wang opposed the Higher Education and Research Reform Bill.

Family First senator Bob Day supported the bill, along with Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm.

Independent senator John Madigan also voted in favour of the bill but made it clear he wanted it to progress so that it could be amended.

"I have serious concerns with the bill in its current form, but I also fear the consequences of doing nothing," he told the Senate.

Senator Xenophon said everyone agreed the system of university funding needed to change.

"I don't, however, believe that deregulation is necessarily to best option in solving this problem," he said.

"I cannot accept what the Federal Government is doing. I cannot support it."

Senator Xenophon said he welcomed the Government's recent changes to the legislation as a sign of willingness to listen and compromise.

"[Education] Minister Pyne is incredibly flexible," he said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-17/senate-votes-down-legislation-to-uncap-university-fees/6327066

No, senator X... The government is only willing "to compromise" to get a foot in the door and then get their entire malodorant reform through bits by bits... You can smell the way they can infiltrate our houses... resist! RESIST to the hilt!...

Until Hitler took power, German universities were the envy of the world. They had they best facilities, offered the best training, and employed the best researchers. Between 1901 and 1932, scholars based in Germany won 33 Nobel Prizes for academic work (counting the historian Theodor Mommsen, but excluding other winners in Literature).  Americans won just five.

The academic balance of power has changed. American universities dominate international rankings. And German officials periodically warn of a “brain drain” toward the United States. It’s a sad decline for the land of Humboldt, Hegel, and Heisenberg.

You might reasonably conclude that German universities have something to learn from their American counterparts. The Notre Dame professor Mark Roche made that case in a recent book. Last week, he turned the argument around. In a piecefor FAZ (link in German), Roche suggests that American universities emulate seven features of German universities: the intellectual independence they offer students; the seminar system; a place of honor for the traditional lecture; double majoring; professors who take a broad view of their subject; respect for the humanities; and a generous attitude toward academic training for non-academic careers.

Roche could have mentioned another appealing aspect of German universities: they’re much cheaper to run. As Rebecca Schuman reminds progressives impressed by the fact that they don’t charge tuition,

read more: http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/can-america-learn-from-german-universities/