West Report

Review of Higher Education Financing and Policy ~ a policy discussion paper, DEETYA, 1997. <http://www.dest.gov.au/archive/highered/hereview/toc.htm>

This document was produced by the Higher Education Financing and Policy Review Committee chaired by Roderick West. The terms of reference included a current review of the state and effectiveness of Australian higher education and of developments which will impinge on it in the future; the development of a comprehensive policy framework ensuring flexible and creative response to change and the meeting of the needs of key stakeholders; and the provision within the framework for different funding options.

The proposals focus on post-secondary education as a whole. The Committee’s vision for the future includes a fostering of lifelong learning, of civic values of democracy and pluralism, and of scholarship; the development of graduates who can play a productive role in an externally focused economy; the provision of access to knowledge and skills to industry and government as well as to the wider community; developing higher education as a wealth generating industry; and ensuring access to all who have the capacity to succeed in higher education, irrespective of social or economic circumstances

Six basic principles proposed are:

• enhancing access
  - a national target of near universal access to some form of post-secondary education and to some form of Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS)
• maximising student study options
  - decisions on location, content and mode of delivery should arise from the relationship between provider and student, not from administrative or institutional requirements
• promoting quality and accountability
  – a focus on educational outcomes, accountability to students and the taxpayer
• maximising benefits of research
  – to emphasise transfer of new knowledge and skills to the community
• cost effective community benefits
  – accountability to the tax-payer that higher education is meeting the community’s needs in the most cost-effective way
• fair levels of private contributions
  – expectation that it is reasonable to expect individuals to contribute to their own higher education costs, in such a way that is fair to the individual and the family.

A concern for the quality of student learning, the development of a competitive post-secondary education industry and national priority setting for research are emphasised as core to achieving these principles.