Sydney University community fights higher education reform

Sydney University community fights higher education reform

Students, staff, and alumni of the University of Sydney vocalised their disapproval of the University’s stance on higher education reforms at a meeting held in the Sydney University Great Hall on Monday night (August 25).

The deregulation of University fees proposed in the budget is estimated by the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) to see some courses rise in cost by over $100,000.

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Sydney, Dr Michael Spence, has come under fire for backing deregulation without having consulted the University community.

The meeting was put forth by Chancellor Belinda Hutchinson and Dr Spence in response to calls for a more official meeting of Alumni and staff to create a cohesive institutional response to the budget.

“This is an opportunity to listen to 26 people and together make an important contribution to the national debate around this crucial issue,” Dr Spence said.

“It is the first time in a long time that Australia is taking education seriously,” he said.

A large group of students in the hall took fierce opposition to what the Vice Chancellor was saying during the meeting. The audience became so disruptive that Dr Spence was stopped by the Master of Ceremonies, comedian and broadcaster Adam Spencer.

In particular Student Representative Council Education Officer Eleanor Morely was frustrated as to why she wasn’t on the pre-selected list of 26 speakers.

“I was democratically elected by the student body to represent and fight for their education. This meeting is a farce,” she interjected.

Of the speakers who  followed, an overwhelming 25 to 1 did not support the full measures put forth by the government, though to varying extents.

Former President of the Sydney University Liberal Club, Alex Dore, was the only speaker to come out in full support of the reforms and was met with constant boos.

“The reforms are fair, there is no such thing as free education. You are all the entitlement generation,” he said.

Ed McMahon, USU Board Director, put a hand-vote motion to those present in the hall that all University bodies should campaign against the budget, which was welcomed by roughly three quarters of the hall.

Vice Chancellor Michael Spence assured those in attendance that all comments would be taken note of and that the meeting was just the start of an extensive consultation process.

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