This week the Australian government will attempt to slash a number of federal laws in its first planned "repeal day" that will save AUD$1 billion a year in red tape. A number of "heavy handed" regulations affecting the university sector are set to be abolished in the process, a move that has been welcomed by international educators in the country. This week the Australian government will attempt to slash a number of federal laws in its first planned "repeal day" that will save AUD$1 billion a year in red tape. A number of "heavy handed" regulations affecting the university sector are set to be abolished in the process, a move that has been welcomed by international educators in the country.
In the proposal, the government will seek to address over-regulation in the university sector by reducing the scope of the Tertiary Education Quality Standard Agency's (TEQSA) authority, removing duplication of required reports and streamlining data collection.
The government has based its repeals on 27 recommendations from the and the reviews of higher education regulation commissioned by the previous Labour government.
"Freedom and autonomy will be the hallmarks of this government鈥檚 approach to universities"
Speaking at the Universities Australia annual conference last month, Education Minister Christopher Pyne reiterated the government's priority "to remove the dead hand of excessive reporting and regulation that stifles universities鈥� productivity and capacity to innovate".
"Freedom and autonomy will be the hallmarks of this government鈥檚 approach to universities," he said. "As we reduce the burden of regulation on universities, I would urge you to grasp your destiny into your own hands."
Introduced in 2012 as the country's first national tertiary education regulator, in practice聽TEQSA has come under harsh criticism for applying a one size fits all approach to education regulation across the sectors and resulted in burdensome regulatory overlaps.
Part of Pyne's plan to streamline the regulatory body is establishing a TEQSA Advisory Council made up of international education stakeholders.
The council, reporting to Pyne, will advise on the progress of deregulation聽 and "ensure the minimum regulatory intervention consistent with accountability for quality".
In a bid to centralise reporting into the Higher Education Information Management System (HEIMS) and "improve the coordination and interaction of existing data and information" the National Advisory Group for Higher Education Data and Information (NAGHEDI) has been set up by the government.
Following recommendations, further efforts to simplify data collection including international and financial reporting will be implemented through the NAGHEDI.
Phil Honeywood, executive director of the said that the shift from state-based quality assurance to national regulation has led to a more mature sector needing a "lighter touch" and less of a "paper chase".
According to sector representing body, , institutions collectively spend AUD$280 million every year on regulatory compliance and reporting.
Honeywood added that human resources that could have been spent enhancing the student experience were instead deployed in the quality assurance area.
"Perhaps now we can put more effort into some of the other issues associated with our wonderful industry and sector"
"There's been concerns raised by the sector as a whole that clear needs in student service delivery areas have not had the priority that they need because of the clear importance that had to be given just to meet the terms of the regulatory bodies," he told
小瓢虫传媒.
"Perhaps now we can put more effort into some of the other issues associated with our wonderful industry and sector."
The easing of university governance is part of the Abbot administration's "omnibus red tape repeal bill" that aims to deregulate across the board, proposing to abolish up to 8,000 federal laws.
This week the Australian government will attempt to slash a number of federal laws in its first planned “repeal day” that will save AUD$1 billion a year in red tape. A number of “heavy handed” regulations affecting the university sector are set to be abolished in the process, a move that has been welcomed by international educators in the country.
In the proposal, the government will seek to address over-regulation in the university sector by reducing the scope of the Tertiary Education Quality Standard Agency’s (TEQSA) authority, removing duplication of required reports and streamlining data collection.
The government has based its repeals on 27 recommendations from the and the reviews of higher education regulation commissioned by the previous Labour government.
“Freedom and autonomy will be the hallmarks of this government鈥檚 approach to universities”
Speaking at the Universities Australia annual conference last month, Education Minister Christopher Pyne reiterated the government’s priority “to remove the dead hand of excessive reporting and regulation that stifles universities鈥� productivity and capacity to innovate”.
“Freedom and autonomy will be the hallmarks of this government鈥檚 approach to universities,” he said. “As we reduce the burden of regulation on universities, I would urge you to grasp your destiny into your own hands.”
Introduced in 2012 as the country’s first national tertiary education regulator, in practice聽TEQSA has come under harsh criticism for applying a one size fits all approach to education regulation across the sectors and resulted in burdensome regulatory overlaps.
Part of Pyne’s plan to streamline the regulatory body is establishing a TEQSA Advisory Council made up of international education stakeholders.
The council, reporting to Pyne, will advise on the progress of deregulation聽 and “ensure the minimum regulatory intervention consistent with accountability for quality”.
In a bid to centralise reporting into the Higher Education Information Management System (HEIMS) and “improve the coordination and interaction of existing data and information” the National Advisory Group for Higher Education Data and Information (NAGHEDI) has been set up by the government.
Following recommendations, further efforts to simplify data collection including international and financial reporting will be implemented through the NAGHEDI.
Phil Honeywood, executive director of the said that the shift from state-based quality assurance to national regulation has led to a more mature sector needing a “lighter touch” and less of a “paper chase”.
According to sector representing body, , institutions collectively spend AUD$280 million every year on regulatory compliance and reporting.
Honeywood added that human resources that could have been spent enhancing the student experience were instead deployed in the quality assurance area.
“Perhaps now we can put more effort into some of the other issues associated with our wonderful industry and sector”
“There’s been concerns raised by the sector as a whole that clear needs in student service delivery areas have not had the priority that they need because of the clear importance that had to be given just to meet the terms of the regulatory bodies,” he told 小瓢虫传媒.
“Perhaps now we can put more effort into some of the other issues associated with our wonderful industry and sector.”
The easing of university governance is part of the Abbot administration’s “omnibus red tape repeal bill” that aims to deregulate across the board, proposing to abolish up to 8,000 federal laws.
