Major changes in government policy and institutional management have impacted adversely on Australian university academics who tend to be highly critical of the new directions and their effects on the academic profession. Academics strongly oppose reduced government funding per student unit, higher workloads and new styles of corporatist…

The author discusses the development, literature, problems, and possibilities of the politics of education in the United States and Australia. Emphasis is placed upon defining boundaries, priorities, and research projects for the field. (DE)

The effectiveness of Australia's handling of higher education policy at the national level is discussed in terms of the considerable future problems to be faced. Policy successes and failures in the last two decades are assessed, and future prospects are examined. (Author/MSE)

Using interest group theory and the idea of public policy development and application following sequential stages, explores how key decisions were made about establishment and implementation of Australia's controversial national quality assurance program for higher education. Explains how Australia came to introduce a quality assurance program…

The Australian colleges of advanced education have been developed since the mid-1960's mainly on the initiative of the federal government to create a separate sector of higher education parallel to the universities. They illustrate "academic drift," a process whereby non-university institutions aspire to become more like universities,…

Aspects of recent changes in Australian higher education are explored, with focus on the Dawkins Agenda, which is related to the current political and economic situation. Questions about the success of John Dawkins, Federal Minister for Employment, Education and Training, in regard to higher education are raised (why he has been successful and…

Two important and far-reaching decisions by the Australian Commonwealth Government with regard to its future policies on education are discussed. The future of Commonwealth involvement in education, funding for tertiary education, the introduction of tuition fees in universities, and the rationalization of single-purpose teacher education are…

Explores quality-assurance mechanisms for higher education and their use as a government policy instrument. Outlines several national or system-level approaches adopted worldwide; reviews an Australian quality-assurance program conducted from 1993 to 1995 and its successor program; and comments on ways in which the government used quality…

Reports on an Australian-American research project designed to contribute to the understanding of comparative public policy--particularly in relation to the education policy domain. Notes research team was comprised of 1 American and 15 Australians. Shows findings of one American and eight Australian studies that reveal clear dissimilarities and…

A new theme in the old tension between centralization and decentralization in the governance and administration of Australian higher education is explored. The argument is that the various major attempts to restructure Australian education systems both in centralizing and decentralizing forces have gained new strength, and that the recent stated…

Issues emerging from recent Australian college mergers include: their necessity, forced by federal government; realism of the savings objectives; problems of merging institutions with separate traditions and missions; achieving new institutional identities; optimum strategies for integrating organizational structures and policies; and effects on…