CEET 8th Annual National Conference29 October 2004
Ascot House Melbourne
The current priorities:
following the money trail
Gerald Burke
CEET
www.education.monash.edu.au/centres/ceet
Background Australia
Fast growing high income economy
Exposed to global forces
A less equal society than northern Europe
High rate of immigration and of int’l students
Ageing – but more slowly than most rich countries
Education system
Growing private funding
High average rates of participation
High average quality
Good lifelong pathways for most people
Provision for less advantaged needs to improve
Trying to align education, training and economy
Government objectives
Education and training responsive to the economy Encouraging achievement of disadvantaged Encouraging older persons to stay at work Making the education system more efficient Increasing choice in education and trainingAchieving these while containing public expenditureMeans some reallocation of public monies and
changed organisation
Which priorities are being pursued
• One way of seeing the relative importance given to a policy or an area of education is to look at the money spent on it
Distribution of spending
Total spending by sector, Australia 2003 (approx) Total
$ billion % GovtGovt
$ billlionPrivate $ billion
Enrolments million
Govt schools 18 100 18 0 2.3Non-gov schools 10 57 6 4 1.1VET 5 80 4 1 1.7Universities 12 44 5 7 0.9Total 45 33 12 6.0
Changes in spending
Percentage changes, Australia1997 to 2003
Students Income per
studentTotal
incomeGovernment schools 1 16 17Non-government schools 13 25 41VET 19 -18 -2Universities - total 26 -4 22Universities - government operating grants (including HECS) 0 -7 -7Income in constant prices using WCI to deflate wage elements
Spending on Youth Allowance and Apprenticeships
2002-03 $ billionYouth Allowance 2.24Support for New Apprenticeships 0.57
Some good outcomes, some problems
• Reallocation of public and increased private• More choice• Maybe more efficiency – concerns for quality• Needs of the economy – criticism and some shortages• Equity
little change in low income groups in universities proportion of young people ‘at risk’ not much changed expansion of private schools and the effects initiatives for disadvantaged - but not a big share of funds example of Indigenous people and social cohesion