Government maintains commitment to higher education and research

The 2012 Budget maintains the expansion of Australia's higher education and research and research systems.

"Against a challenging budget the IRU is very pleased that the Government kept faith with its commitment to education and research as fundamental to our future economic and social well being", said Professor Ian O'Connor, Chair of the IRU.

"The IRU supports the equity package which provides long term certainty of funding per head for students of enabling programs and for students from a low SES background. These were proposals from the Base Funding Review which the IRU highlighted for action in this Budget," he said.

The science and mathematics package will help ensure school students are well prepared for university entry with effective skills in these crucial areas. As universities look to enrol more students it is essential that school leavers with a senior secondary certificate have the capability to move onto university study. This is very important for the IRU members which are committed to expanding access to university education and to maintaining the learning outcomes students achieve.

Directly improving mathematics and science teaching is likely to have better value than charging university students less for studying those subjects.

Universities were concerned about rumours of slow downs to growth in research expenditures. We are very pleased that the Government has committed in full to the growth in programs such as the Sustainable Research Excellence program.

"In sum universities can continue to plan with certainty for 2013 and 2014" Professor O'Connor concluded.

Contact
Professor Ian O'Connor
Chair IRU
Via: Dean Gould
Director Communications
Griffith University
t: 07 5552 9250
m: 0411 657 381
Mr Conor King
Executive Director IRU
m: 0434 601 691
w : iru.edu.au