28 May 1997
West acknowledgment underlines AVCC concerns

The AVCC has welcomed the comments of the head of the Government's review of higher education finance and policy, Mr. Roderick West who has highlighted the threats to quality and equity posed by Government cut-backs to higher education.

Responding to Mr. West's reported comments, Acting President of the AVCC, Professor Geoff Wilson, said that Mr. West's concerns about the direction of Government policy for higher education had "underlined the AVCC's own concerns that further cuts to higher education will create intolerable strains upon the quality and equity of the national university system."

Professor Wilson said that all Vice-Chancellors would be encouraged by the broad nature of Mr. West's comments:

"Mr. West has given the higher education sector reason to hope if his comments represent something of what we can expect from his review. It is especially encouraging to hear him taking a very broad look at the benefits which accrue to the Australian community from higher education.

"While the AVCC is keen to emphasise the importance of adequate higher education funding for Australia's future prosperity, Mr. West is absolutely right to emphasise the broader ethical, moral, cultural and social benefits which a vibrant higher learning sector can provide for the community.

"Mr. West seems to be saying that if we get the principles and the funding right, the economic benefits of higher education will follow. I don't think he will get too much disagreement from Vice-Chancellors from such an approach."

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