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Brasil: Parcerias entre municípios são arma contra o atraso na educação

Brasil/Diciembre de 2017/Fuente: Gazeta do Povo

Resumen: El sistema educativo brasileño es de los más complejos del mundo: las tres esferas de poder (federal, estadual y municipal) dividen la tarea de gestionar el sistema de enseñanza, con algunas lagunas y superposiciones. Pero la división federativa, que a veces perjudica, empieza a ser tomada como una ventaja: las asociaciones entre municipios, o entre estados y municipios, han ganado espacio – aunque todavía de forma tímida. Es el régimen de colaboración, ya previsto en la Constitución Federal pero nunca puesto en práctica de forma sistemática.

O sistema educacional brasileiro é dos mais complexos do mundo: as três esferas de poder (federal, estadual e municipal) dividem a tarefa de gerir o sistema de ensino, com algumas lacunas e sobreposições. Mas a divisão federativa, que por vezes prejudica, começa a ser tomada como uma vantagem: as associações entre municípios, ou entre estados e municípios, têm ganhado espaço – embora ainda de forma tímida. É o regime de colaboração, já previsto na Constituição Federal mas nunca colocado em prática de forma sistemática.

A colaboração tem muitas vantagens: como a maior parte dos municípios brasileiros tem menos de 10 mil habitantes, a associação gera economia de escala, uma integração melhor do material humano e uma proteção contra mudanças políticas repentinas – porque permite um planejamento com horizontes maiores do que o ciclo eleitoral.

“A rigor, sempre houve colaboração entre estados e municípios. Mas agora é uma colaboração de outra qualidade”, afirma Haroldo Corrêa Rocha, secretário de Educação do Espírito Santo.

João Marcelo Borges, especialista em educação do Banco Interamericano de Desenvolvimento (BID), concorda: diz que a ideia não é nova, mas tem adquirido um perfil de maior complexidade. “Antes o regime de colaboração estava muito centrado ou no grande financiamento ou em aspectos operacionais muito pequenos”, afirma. Agora, diz ele, projetos de educação também tem se voltado para o aspecto pedagógico e ao atingimento de metas.

Rocha e Borges estiveram entre os participantes do 1° Seminário Colabora Educação, realizado em São Paulo na última semana para debater as diferentes formas do regime de colaboração.

O Colabora Educação é um movimento criado em 2016, com a participação de entidades privadas como o Instituto Natura, o Instituto Itaú Social, o Movimento Todos Pela Educação e a Fundação Unibanco.

A criação de consórcios de municípios é comum em outras áreas, como a saúde. Mas, na educação, a ideia ainda está incipiente. Um dos projetos pioneiros teve início com o Consórcio Intermunicipal do Pontal do Paranapanema (CIVAP), iniciado há 32 anos em São Paulo.

Hoje, o grupo tem 29 prefeituras que se associaram para realizar licitações e planejamento no longo prazo, e passaram a colaborar também no setor eucacional.

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 A longevidade se deve à separação entre gestão e política. “Os consórcios e associações que ficam só no campo da política e em questões partidárias estão fadados a ter seu encerramento muito breve”, afirma Ida Françoso, diretora-executiva do CIVAP.

Outros exemplos do tipo têm surgido: Santa Catarina tem o Consórcio Intermunicipal Catarinense (CIMCatarina), com 41 prefeituras participantes.

Em 2012, nasceu o Consórcio Intermunicipal de Desenvolvimento Sustentável da Transamazônica e Xingu (CIDS), composto por 12 cidades paraenses.

 No Paraná, uma iniciativa inédita está em andamento: dez municípios se uniram para contratar um secretário Regional de Educação. A soma de recursos permitirá a contratação de um profissional mais qualificado. O consórcio recorreu a uma entidade sem fins lucrativos, a Vetor Brasil, que abriu uma seleção nacional para escolher o secretário.

Colaboração vertical

Além da cooperação entre municípios, as parcerias também podem ser verticais: entre o governo do estado e prefeituras.

Um caso citado com frequência é o do Ceará: lá, o governo criou o PAIC, que vinculou a distribuição de recursos do ICMS ao desempenho do município na educação.

Com o incentivo financeiro, metas claras e um parâmetro bem-definido – a redução do analfabetismo – o programa trouxe bons resultados. Hoje, o Estado tem o melhor índice do Ideb para os anos iniciais do ensino fundamental.

Em 2007, quando o programa foi lançado, a maioria dos municpios cearenses tinha um nível insuficiente de alfabetização em suas redes de ensino. Em 2016, o mapa mudou de cor: quatro cidades receberam a classificação de “suficiente” e todas as outras estão no nível desejado.

O programa não se limitou ao aspecto financeiro: também incluiu a distribuição de material didático e formação de professores, além de criar dispositivos que forçam os municípios mais avançados a colaborarem com aqueles que têm maus resultados.

Na Paraíba, onde já existe um programa similar, os incentivos financeiros são o próximo passo.

“A gente ainda não tem essa questão do ICMS. Como é o primeiro ano, existe muita coisa para a gente levantar. Mas está no meu radar fazer esse debate”, diz o secretário de Educação da Paraíba, Aléssio Trindade de Barros.

Apesar do caráter apolítico dos consórcios, as oscilações causadas pelo ciclo eleitoral ainda são um desafio. O secretário de Educação de Sergipe, Jorge Carvalho, teve trabalho para convencer a safra de prefeitos eleitos em 2016 a manter a participação no programa estadual de colaboração.

“Nós tivemos de repactuar com vários prefeitos o regime de colaboração porque o prefeito nos mandava um documento renunciando aos pactos sob a alegação de que ‘isso foi celebrado por um adversário político meu e eu não vou manter algo que era bom para o meu adversário’”, diz Carvalho.

Base Curricular

A colaboração será necessária durante a implementação da nova Base Nacional Comum Curricular, que está em fase final de aprovação e exigirá a formação de currículos específicos para cada município brasileiro.

“Vai ser muito complicado no meu estado que tem 184 municípios a gente ter a construção dos parâmetros curriculares do estado e dos 184 municípios”, afirma Frederico Amâncio, secretário de Educação de Pernambuco.

Fernando Abrucio, especialista da Fundação Getúlio Vargas, concorda: “Vai ser uma confusão enorme e uma enorme dificuldade para os estados e municípios fazerem isso”.

Autor de um livro recém-lançado sobre o tema, o especialista acredita que a formação de consórcios é a única saída viável para boa parte dos municípios brasileiros. “Não haverá solução para educação no Brasil pelo mero municipalismo. Será preciso passar por uma solução regionalizada”, afirma.

Fuente: http://www.gazetadopovo.com.br/educacao/parcerias-entre-municipios-sao-arma-contra-o-atraso-na-educacao-613jrbgm0aap47yy74656clp1

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Venezuela: 18 mil escuelas y liceos participaron en gran jornada de mantenimiento

Venezuela/Diciembre de 2017/Fuente: MPPE

“Hemos convocado a esta gran jornada de mantenimiento voluntario, de mantenimiento preventivo de simoncitos, escuelas, liceos y escuelas técnicas de todo el país, de las 25 mil escuelas se han sumando 18 mil entre el día de ayer sábado y hoy domingo”, informó el ministro del Poder Popular para la Educación, Elías Jaua Milano, desde los espacios de la Escuela Técnica Industrial José de San Martín, ubicada en Caracas.

En el marco de la I Gran Jornada de Trabajo Voluntario y Mantenimiento Preventivo “Esta es mi Escuela”, el responsable del despacho educativo agradeció y felicitó, “a todas esas comunidades educativas, al Movimiento Bolivariano de Familias, a los padres y a las madres, a los profesores, maestros, maestras, a las cocineros y cocineras, a la muchachada, a la Organización Bolivariana de Estudiantes, a todos los estudiantes, las misiones y las milicias que también se incorporaron”, detalló Jaua.

100% de planteles se activarán en enero

Asimismo, el ministro Jaua hizo un llamado al resto de planteles que no se incorporaron en esta oportunidad, a prepararse para la próxima jornada que se estima realizar para el mes de enero del año 2018,  en donde se espera que el 100% de las instituciones educativas se activen en el trabajo voluntario y preventivo.

“Para las 7 mil escuelas que no lo hicieron en esta oportunidad, que se preparen para la próxima jornada este mes de enero, donde esperamos que el 100% de nuestras escuelas se incorporen, quiero de manera especial agradecer y estimular con todo nuestro apoyo a las 18 mil comunidades educativas que se activaron este fin de semana, nos sentimos profundamente orgulloso”, dijo Jaua.

También en las redes sociales

“Ayer cuando estábamos en República Dominicana en el diálogo y podíamos revisar la etiqueta que se posicionó #EstaEsMiEscuela, veíamos de todo el país, en Los Llanos, en los Andes, en Oriente, en Margarita, en el Zulia, en todo el país, en las ciudades, en los barrios, en los campos, es una gran motivación la que siente la comunidad por su escuela esperando este llamado, y yo me siento profundamente orgulloso”, mencionó Jaua.

De este modo, se da cumplimiento a la instrucción dada por el Presidente Nicolás Maduro al inicio del año escolar, donde exhorta a las y los venezolanos para su activación y participación en el mejoramiento de las instituciones educativas, con el propósito de cuidar los espacios de convivencia de las y los estudiante, además de evitar los hurtos inapropiados.

“Estamos cumpliendo las tareas que nos encomendó nuestro Presidente Nicolás Maduro al inicio del año escolar, que es una mayor participación y mayor activación de toda la comunidad en torno a su escuela, esto debe servir para el mantenimiento preventivo y también para el cuidado de todas las escuelas, para los alertas, que no las roben ni las saqueen, para la convivencia”, exhortó Jaua.

Familia y comunidad comprometidas

Asimismo, la participación de la familia y la comunidad generará “menos violencia habrá dentro de las escuelas, solo apropiándonos sentimentalmente de los espacios en donde estudian nuestros hijos, en donde debemos garantizar una infraestructura adecuada, una calidad de la educación integral”, afirmó el ministro Jaua.

Finalmente, Jaua señaló que “vamos a hacer del sistema educativo público nacional un modelo, como ya lo es en el mundo. Un modelo, porque es público y gratuito, desde la educación inicial hasta la educación universitaria,  pocos países en el mundo tienen el derecho de la educación garantizado para toda su población. Venezuela es uno de ellos y así lo reconoce la UNESCO”, concluyó.

(FIN// Texto: Inés Herrera / Fotos: Tom Grillo)

Fuente: http://me.gob.ve/index.php/noticias/89-noticias-2027/diciembre/3773-18-mil-escuelas-y-liceos-participaron-en-gran-jornada-de-mantenimiento

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Alemania: Travel and career prospects top of int’l teachers’ agendas

Alemania/Diciembre de 2017/Fuente: The PIE News

Resumen: El Informe de reclutamiento de educación internacional 2017 de Teach Away, que encuestó a 10,465 docentes de todo el mundo, encontró que solo el 15% de los candidatos quieren enseñar en el extranjero principalmente por razones financieras, mientras que el 43% de los candidatos opta por hacerlo como medio para viajar. La progresión de la carrera también puede ser un motivador, con 37% que indica que esto fue un incentivo para tomar un trabajo en particular. Kathy Heady, directora de marketing de contenidos en Teach Away y autora del artículo, dijo a The PIE News que el informe sugiere nuevas campañas de reclutamiento para enfocarse en esta mentalidad. «En resumen, las escuelas internacionales deben comenzar a aprovechar las estrategias de reclutamiento en línea, si no lo están haciendo ya», dijo Heady.

Teach Away’s 2017 International Education Recruitment Report, which surveyed 10,465 teachers around the world, found that just 15% of candidates want to teach abroad primarily for financial reasons, while 43% of candidates choose to do so as a means to travel.

Career progression can also be a motivator with 37% indicating this was an incentive to take a particular job.

Kathy Heady, content marketing lead at Teach Away and author of the paper, told The PIE News that the report suggests new recruitment drives to target this mindset.

“In short, international schools need to start leveraging online recruiting strategies, if they aren’t already doing so,” Heady said.

“International schools are still recruiting teachers the old-fashioned way, i.e. newspaper ads, job fairs, even though the survey results show that 97% of candidates are using online job search channels,” Heady added.

“They can be reluctant to switch gears. But pretty soon, they won’t have a choice in the matter.”

The opinion of colleagues or recruiters is also seen as important by teachers

Recruiters should highlight potential travel and the benefits of their location when advertising jobs to international teachers; a potential difficulty for some more isolated schools.

“International schools in more rural locations do often face challenges when it comes to recruiting international teachers,” Heady said.

Teach Away recommends that these schools should highlight the potential highlights of rural living, such as geographical opportunities, quality of life, and even the nearest urban hubs, for the benefits such as further travel that conurbations bring.

“[International schools] could consider highlighting their proximity to the nearest city and public transport options that make travel accessible on the job description.

“If the school’s region offers little-known recreational opportunities, [schools should] be sure to list these in detail, in particular any nearby outdoor activities and famous scenic/cultural sights that are likely to appeal to travel-motivated job seekers,” she added.

“Housing options are typically more spacious and the cost of living is lower [in rural settings], allowing for more saving potential (again, for travel). Additionally, teachers don’t have to contend with the disadvantages of city life, such as traffic jams, lower air quality and higher crime rates.”

Other international teacher recruiters agreed with the main points of the report, that location is the main decider, but the opinion of colleagues or recruiters is also seen as important by teachers.

“I agree with the recommendations… I would add that schools need to be very aware of their online presences and invest in a good website that has a very strong careers section,” Andrew Wigford, director of UK-based Teachers International Consultancy told The PIE News.

Wigford said that because TIC is a UK-based organisation, its surveys with more British respondents have found major differences in preferred locations for teachers. Asia and the Middle East were ranked first and second, with Europe third in a TIC survey.

He also highlighted that teachers often chose schools due to the recommendation of a colleague or respected recruiting agency and that many choices are based on job preferences and school quality, rather than location or salary.

Diane Jacoutot, managing director at Edvectus, noted that candidates from different countries behave differently when searching for news roles.

“I find that teachers in different countries use more regionally important channels to find jobs. In some countries such as South Africa and Ireland, word of mouth is by far the most important factor.

“In the UK, teachers use particular job boards such as TES as well as associated forums; Australia and New Zealand have their own specific channels.”

Disagreeing with Wigford, however, Jacoutot argues that teachers do see money as a significant pull factor.

“Once [teachers] decide to go abroad, then money and package tend to be a major factor in deciding on one job over another,” she said. 

Laura Light, director at Global Recruitment Team told The PIE News that she agreed with the report that the market needs to adapt.

“We are finding that the online hiring, and the use of Zoom and Skype, has changed how hiring is being done.  We work hard to ensure that these are used, as we want to help all connect. Hiring, and finding the right ‘fit’, is now a year round job due to this [change].”

Fuente: https://thepienews.com/news/travel-and-career-prospects-top-of-intl-teachers-agendas/

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Canada’s Wilfrid Laurier University Expands Online Offerings with 2 Postgraduate Programs and 5 Graduate Diplomas

Canadá/Diciembre de 2017/Fuente: The Daily Telescope

Resumen: La Universidad Wilfrid Laurier está ampliando su asociación de gestión de programas en línea con Keypath Education para incluir nuevos programas de posgrado totalmente en línea en Seguridad Pública y Trabajo Social. También se presentarán diplomas de posgrado en Seguridad Pública. La asociación con Keypath se anunció por primera vez en junio de 2016 e incluyó los primeros programas de vigilancia policial en línea.

Laurier cuenta con más de 17,000 estudiantes de pregrado y más de 1,000 estudiantes de posgrado, y ocupa el sexto lugar en la categoría de universidad integral de Maclean, y el primero en satisfacción estudiantil por segundo año consecutivo.

Wilfrid Laurier University is expanding its online program management partnership with Keypath Education to include new fully online postgraduate degree programs in Public Safety and Social Work. Graduate diplomas in Public Safety will also be introduced. The partnership with Keypath was first announced in June 2016 and included first-of-their-kind online policing programs.

Laurier has more than 17,000 undergraduate and over 1,000 graduate students, and is ranked sixth in Maclean’s comprehensive university category, and first in student satisfaction for the second year in a row.

Laurier’s new fully online Master of Public Safety (MPS) degree and graduate diploma programs commence in January 2018 and are designed for those who aspire to positions of leadership in any area of public safety. The MPS is the only program aligned with the four strategic pillars of Public Safety Canada. Students who earn their Public Safety graduate diploma may continue their studies and transfer course credit into the Master of Public Safety degree.

The online Master of Social Work (MSW) program commences in 2018. The MSW is one of Laurier’s signature programs, and has a longstanding reputation for specializing in critically reflexive clinical and community practice. It will be the only program in the country to offer both an advanced standing (for those with a Bachelor of Social Work) and a traditional MSW degree (for those without a BSW) in a fully online format.

As Laurier’s online program management partner, Keypath is helping the university diversify its enrollment to provinces outside Ontario through online degree programs.

“Our analysis showed that in the Canadian market, where fully online degrees are new, there was a significant opportunity to become a leader in that space if we were able to extend our reach across the country quickly, efficiently and professionally,” said Bruce Arai, Laurier’s assistant provost for strategy and dean of the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences. “It became clear that we didn’t have the internal capacity to do this properly, so we needed a partner to reach this goal. Through our RFP process, Keypath was well ahead of the other respondents on every measure.”

Keypath provides research and strategic support, program-focused marketing, including localized B2B services, student recruitment, and student support services in the partnership. The undergraduate policing programs supported in the initial partnership have exceeded projections by more than 70 percent.

“There are three things driving the partnership’s success,” said Keypath CEO Steve Fireng. “The first is the university has a clear strategic academic plan with faculty support, in which online education plays a pivotal role. Second, Canada has high demand for online education that is underserved in comparison to the United States and the United Kingdom. Third, Laurier has been selective in the online degree programs they’ve chosen to launch, giving the university the resources to invest in other programs. The strength of the undergraduate policing programs has allowed for the launch of graduate-level public safety, social work and applied computing programs.”

Paul Jessop, Laurier’s vice-president: academic, said, “The results we’ve seen from our partnership with Keypath are a testament to the university’s ability to work together and innovate in the face of rapid change in higher education. Online education gives adult professionals the flexibility to further their education while giving the university a foundation for enrollment growth and a more diverse population of students long into the future.”

For more information about Laurier and these programs, please visit online.wlu.ca.

For more information about the Laurier-Keypath partnership and online program management services, please contact Chris Williams, director of marketing, at chris.williams(at)keypathedu(dot)com or visit keypathedu.ca.

About Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University is a leading Canadian university known for academic excellence and a culture that inspires lives of leadership and purpose. Laurier has a distinct commitment to teaching, research and scholarship, combined with a strong student focus, high levels of student satisfaction and a deep sense of community. Laurier’s innovative educational model purposefully integrates the academic learning experience with an experiential learning component. The university has more than 19,000 students throughout its campuses in Waterloo and Brantford and locations in Kitchener and Toronto. The university celebrated its centennial in 2011. http://www.wlu.ca

About Keypath Education
Keypath Education is dedicated to creating global access to high-quality online education by partnering with the world’s best universities to launch and grow high-quality degree programs via its online program management (OPM) division. Through OPM partnerships, Keypath acts as an extension of the university’s team, keeping its brand and academic rigor intact while accelerating the growth and quality of the university program portfolio. Services provided include market research, capital investment, program development, marketing, student recruitment, retention and course development. The company has offices and partners in the United States, Canada, the U.K. and Australia. Learn more at keypathedu.ca.

Fuente: http://dailytelescope.com/pr/canadas-wilfrid-laurier-university-expands-online-offerings-with-2-postgraduate-programs-and-5-graduate-diplomas/23734

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Sudáfrica: Gauteng Education to meet parents over new Noordgesig principal

Sudáfrica/Dicicembre de 2017/Fuente: Times Live

Resumen: Los funcionarios del Departamento de Educación de Gauteng se reunirán con los padres y las organizaciones comunitarias que se oponen al nombramiento de un nuevo director en la escuela primaria Noordgesig, supuestamente debido a la raza.

El compromiso se produce después de que las clases fueron interrumpidas en la escuela el viernes por padres y organizaciones que alegaban que el director negro les había sido impuesto.

El portavoz de Educación de Gauteng, Steve Mabona, dijo que el nuevo director fue recomendado por el cuerpo directivo de la escuela y se suponía que comenzaría a trabajar en la escuela la semana pasada, pero los descontentos lo rechazaron, porque preferían un candidato coloreado que haya sido el director interino de la escuela.

Officials from the Gauteng Department of Education are set to meet with parents and community organisations opposing the appointment of a new principal at Noordgesig Primary School – allegedly due to race.

The engagement comes after classes were disrupted at the school on Friday by parents and organisations claiming the black headmaster was imposed on them.

Gauteng Education spokesperson Steve Mabona said the new principal was recommended by the school governing body and was supposed to start working at the school last week‚ but disgruntled parties rejected him‚ because they preferred a coloured candidate who has been the acting principal at the school.

Mabona said last week’s protesters claim the acting principal has led the school well and that she is qualified to hold the position permanently‚ but the department believes the protest is racially motivated.

“It’s sad that the same group who disrupted learning at Roodeport Primary School and Klipspruit West Secondary School are also involved in the Noordgesig Primary School protest‚” said Mabona. “We will meet them this morning to hear their concerns‚ but as the department we won’t tolerate any form of racism in schools.”

Community members in Eldorado Park recently disrupted classes at Klipspruit West Secondary School‚ because they also rejected the appointment of a black principal. The community demanded that a coloured principal be appointed for the post.

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) hosted an investigative hearing in the area‚ in a bid to address reported allegations of inequality.

Shirley Matthews‚ who was a member of the Klipspruit West Primary school governing body that was dissolved by the Gauteng MEC for Education‚ told SAHRC that parents don’t have a problem with the appointment of a black principal – their main concern is that due processes were not followed.

“Racist was never a word that we knew in Klipspruit‚ until the MEC said we are racist. That word was never mentioned in Klipspruit‚” Matthews told the SAHRC.

Fuente: https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2017-12-04-gauteng-education-to-meet-parents-over-new-noordgesig-principal/

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India: Strengthen agri education to keep pace with changes: Singh

India/Diciembre de 2017/Fuente: Times of India

Resumen: Las tendencias de la agricultura están cambiando a diario en vista de los nuevos desarrollos tecnológicos, dijo hoy el ministro de la Unión, Radha Mohan Singh, haciendo hincapié en la necesidad de fortalecer la educación en el sector. El Consejo Indio de Investigación Agrícola (ICAR) ha iniciado muchos programas nuevos para elevar la calidad de la educación superior en este campo, dijo. El ministro de Agricultura dijo que el Centro ha aumentado el presupuesto de educación agrícola en un 47,4 por ciento este año, en comparación con el año fiscal 2013-14. Singh estaba hablando en la Universidad Agrícola Central Dr. Rajendra Prasad en Bihar con motivo del Día Nacional de Educación Agrícola.

Agriculture trends are changing daily in view of new technological developments, Union minister Radha Mohan Singh said today, stressing upon the need for strengthening education in the sector.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has initiated many new programmes to raise the quality of higher education in this field, he said.

The agriculture minister said the Centre has increased the budget of agricultural education by 47.4 per cent this year, as compared to the 2013-14 fiscal.

Singh was speaking at Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University in Biharon the occasion of National Agricultural Education Day.

He said the main objective of the government is to attract youth, including school children, towards agricultural education.

In order to adopt quality and holistic approach to higher agricultural education, he said, the Fifth Dean Committee Report has been implemented in all the Agricultural Universities.

«This is first-of-its-kind that all graduate Level courses of agriculture and its related subject have been declared as professional courses, in which agricultural graduates will be able to get a better opportunity from professional work in the future,» Singh said.

The agricultural graduates will benefit as this degree has now become similar to the engineering degree, he said, adding that they will also get more opportunities to go abroad for higher education.

«Fifth Dean Committee Report, guidelines have been prepared for necessary administrative educational standards for the construction and implementation of contemporary courses for the subjects covered in agricultural education,» Singh said. SID SA

Fuente: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/strengthen-agri-education-to-keep-pace-with-changes-singh/articleshow/61905227.cms

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Australia: Coalition ‘considering all options’ to cut university spending, Birmingham says

Australia/Diciembre de 2017/Fuente: The Guardian

Resumen:

El ministro de educación, Simon Birmingham, está «considerando todas las opciones» para recortar el gasto en educación superior en medio de informes que podrían financiar fondos de investigación de alto nivel y programas para estudiantes desfavorecidos si el gobierno no puede aprobar los $ 2.8bn en recortes de fondos que están estancados en el Senado.

El gobierno intensificó su guerra de palabras con el sector universitario por los cambios en el financiamiento terciario, con Fairfax Media informando que el gobierno está apuntando a cambios no legislativos en la financiación, incluido el Programa de Participación y Alianzas para la Educación Superior, o Heppp, que ayuda a los estudiantes de las familias de bajos ingresos acceden a la universidad.

The education minister, Simon Birmingham, is “considering all options” to trim higher education spending amid reports high-end research funding and programs for disadvantaged students could go if the government is unable to pass the $2.8bn in funding cuts that are stalled in the Senate.

The government ramped up its war of words with the university sector over changes to tertiary funding, with Fairfax Media reporting the government is targeting non-legislative changes to funding, including axing the Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program, or Heppp, which helps students from low-income families access university.

More worryingly for universities, the government is reportedly also considering a funding freeze for student enrolments at 2017 levels, which would in effect pause the demand-driven funding system.

Birmingham did not deny the story on Monday, saying the government was “considering our options for higher education policy” in light of the decision by Labor, the Greens and the Xenophon party to block its budget measures.

“Labor, the Greens and Xenophon blocked $2.8bn of budget savings in favour of yet more spending,” he said. “Their unacceptable approach would further grow the taxpayer-funded student debt burden and deliver even faster revenue increases for universities.

“It beggars belief that Labor, the Greens and Xenophon parties are unwilling to make even modest reductions in the rate of spending growth, which under our reforms would still increase university funding by 23% over the next four years.

“With taxpayer funding to universities having grown at essentially twice the rate of the economy since 2009, it’s fair and reasonable to continue to expect a modest contribution to budget repair.”

The government’s higher education bill would impose a two-year 2.5% efficiency dividend on universities, lower the Help debt repayment threshold to $42,000 and increase fees by a cumulative total of 7.5% by 2021. It would also introduce performance contingent funding aimed at increasing graduate outcomes.

But the opposition from tertiary lobby groups including Universities Australia and the Group of Eight has prompted the minister to ramp up his language on the need for funding reform.

In October, he warned that demand-driven funding for the tertiary education system would come under “increasing question and pressure” unless universities focused more on graduate outcomes.

Tim Pitman, a higher education researcher from Curtin University, said that while any cut to the Heppp would be “damaging”, the demand-driven system was the “elephant in the room”.

“Decades of statistics show that the most surefire way of increasing representation of disadvantaged students is to expand the sector,” he said.

He said recent equity statistics show that after a period of the growth in enrolments from students from low socioeconomic background following the introduction of the demand-driven system, the figure was starting to plateau.

That meant any change to the system now could send enrolments into reverse.

“If the demand-driven system was to be paused the sector would, if not contract, it would stop growing and the first students to take a hit would be those disadvantaged students,” he said.

The Universities Australia chief executive, Belinda Robinson, said the threat of non-legislative changes would be “in direct defiance of the will of the Australian people and the parliament”.

“Both the public and lawmakers would quite rightly take a dim view of any bid to go around the legislative process for investment in higher education,” she said. “There was a clear message from the Senate on proposed cuts to universities and that was ‘don’t do it’.”

Fuente: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/dec/04/coalition-considering-all-options-to-cut-university-spending-birmingham-says

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