Humanities 21

The Australian Academy of the Humanities welcomes the final Report of the Australian Universities Accord Panel. In particular, we are very pleased to see a strong recommendation highlighting the significant failings of the Jobs Ready Graduates (JEG) package. The Review found the JRG package “needs urgent remediation”. Its purpose of using price signals has failed to influence student subject choices. The Review cited evidence that only 1.5% of students applied to enrol in courses they would not have applied for under the pre-JRG student contribution arrangements. It has left some students facing disproportionately high contributions and unfair HELP debts, and it has tilted the overall cost burden of higher education further onto students and away from the Australian Government. Students were penalised for not only pursuing their passions in areas in which they thrive, but counter-productively, in subjects which deliver generic skills in demand by employers, which are at least as important as technical skills the Review found. The JRG reforms included a 113% rise in student contributions for students studying communications, humanities, society and culture, and human movement. By cutting student and Commonwealth contributions in other disciplines, the JRG package also reduced the amount of funding available to higher education providers to deliver subjects that are critical to Australia’s future like science, engineering and mathematics. The Review recommended that the Australian Government reduce student contributions for those affected. The Review has recommended moving to a student contribution scheme based on projected potential lifetime earnings. We thank Professor Mary O’Kane and the members of the Review Panel for their care and diligence in considering a range of evidence, submissions and feedback and encourage Education Minister Jason Clare to continue to prioritise key recommendations, like the abolition of JRG, with an early legislative change regime. Inga Davis, Executive Director, Australian Academy of the Humanities.

#Humanities in action: 'The #philosophers who might help us through COVID's dark days of lockdown' via @ABCaustralia abc.net.au/news/2021-07-25/p…

"Humanities graduates and capacities are less visible, but just as integral, across many other parts of the economy." See our op-ed in today's @australian by Academy President @ProfLesleyHead, Executive Director Christina Parolin and Director, Policy & Research Kylie Brass.