This timely book takes up the challenge of maintaining programs in the arts in the face of unrelenting pressure from two directions; the increasing focus on literacy and numeracy in schools, teamed with the cut-backs in public funding that often affect the arts most severely. Drawing on the wealth of evidence already available on the impact of the…

This policy profile on education in Australia is part of the "Education Policy Outlook" series, which presents comparative analysis of education policies and reforms across OECD countries. Building on the OECD's substantial comparative and sectoral knowledge base, the series offers a comparative outlook on education policy by providing…

The landscape of higher education (HE) has dramatically altered in the past 30 years and it continues to evolve and change. More students are entering HE and attending university or college on a global scale than ever before. Supporting and enhancing the undergraduate student experience across the student lifecycle, from first contact through to…

In Australia, one effect of reduced government funding is to stimulate enterprise in higher education. This paper supports extending cooperation and joint ventures with industry and commerce and initiating new practices, such as exporting educational services or establishing a private education sector. A major drawback is the equity issue.…

The paper analyzes the legal, fiscal, and organizational differences and similarities in special educational services in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. Noted are the decreased role of the courts in Australia and New Zealand and provision of all education funding by the state in Australia and New Zealand. (DB)

Discusses equal education issues in Victoria, Australia, summarizing the expansion of secondary and higher education since the 1940s. Explores transition problems between school and university furthering social inequalities. Views educational structures from abundancy and scarcity perspectives, cautioning that limited resources will maintain the…

In contrast to the most commonly suggested approaches to equalizing access to higher education in Australia, either permanently abolishing fees or reinstating fees, the most equitable solution would be to spend comparable amounts on all forms of postsecondary education and training, spreading resources to a broader range of programs and…

Funding trends in Australian higher education are examined over a 12-year period, with analyses for the system as a whole and for 2 sectors: the old, established universities and the newer, emerging institutions. The effects of funding shifts on program emphases and student populations (undergraduate vs. graduate) are discussed. (MSE)

Budgeting and resource allocation systems that work for one institution may not work well for another. Each institution's procedures should meet its specific requirements and characteristics, even when that means adapting or drawing on other systems. (MSE)

The so-called binary system of postsecondary education in Australia, a subject of recent criticism, is found to be less a matter of concern than the related funding issues and concern for equitable support of all sectors. (MSE)

New methods of financing higher education used in Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom are summarized and compared. The paper concludes that while these approaches are designed to improve efficiency, realize specific outcomes, and leverage additional funds from other sources, they may have unanticipated, unintended, and, in some…

This book presents ways in which school administrators can identify and redirect school funds to improve student performance. It quantifies the degree of overall financial inequality in the country using figures for all districts and shows how education dollars are currently spent, why these dollars are ineffectual, and how different and more…

Australia's new policy of encouraging higher education to market its services to foreign students and introduce fees is examined. It is suggested that higher education needs to give more attention to long-term implications of the policy, including pricing, marketing, obtaining feedback, and clarity of communication with other cultural groups. (MSE)

Concerns arising from the substantial changes in Australian higher education in recent years are discussed, including system centralization, elimination of the binary system, institutional stability, underfunding, and system size. A new fee-based funding system is proposed as a means of raising revenue, improving quality, promoting efficiency, and…

Four forms of funding universities (capitation, categorical, initiative, inventive) in Australia are examined for their characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages. The option of using these funding mechanisms for allocating resources within individual universities, based on performance, is explored. Finally, use of the four kinds of funding…