Opinion
To repurpose the prose attributed to Our Leader, unless you have been hiding under a rock somewhere, you’ll have heard that there is a perception that higher education has some problems.
Jason Clare’s speech to a (confabulation? Conflagration? What is the collective noun for a gathering of regulators?) crowd of rules enthusiasts at the TEQSA conference is eye opening for a number of reasons.
Firstly, he didn’t mention Western Sydney. Has there been a change in speechwriter? An epiphany that not all Labour voters can conceptualise themselves as living in the 5km radius of Bankstown.
Secondly and fare more importantly, the speech made it crystal clear that the Education Minister is leading and enforcing extensive regulatory change – acting to address issues that the sector has not resolved. “As you hear me say a lot, it can be better, and it can be a lot fairer, than it is at the moment.”
Mr Clare reassured the audience early in the speech that he is not the sort of guy to beat up on the higher education sector – “this isn’t about belting universities, or anyone else. That’s not my style”. And then proceeded to pull out the big stick, cataloguing a litany of sins including gender-based violence to VC pay, governance, lack of trust within organisations, lack of public support without, race discrimination, a system that poorly connects with VET (but is learning *again name checks old mate Bill*) and low quality teaching.
“There are some people who say universities are friendless. That everyone hates them,” Mr Clare told the room, before adding “That’s not right either.”
To be fair, he had earlier described the wider education system as “The most powerful cause for good,” and while we are not entirely sure what that means, it would be wrong to suggest that the speech was wholly negative.
Equally, the speech was to a congregation of regulators, all seeking to work out how on earth so many Ombudspersons, agencies and Commissioners can fit on stage at once for a later session.
Mr Clare, a statesman blessed with both capability and charisma, has been dealt a tough gig. Installed with a mandate and not allowed to leave the portfolio despite being one of the Government’s stronger performers, he is addressing decades of neglect and the sector has no choice but to acquiesce to almost impossible levels of regulation because of the public failings in addressing gender violence, racism, bullying, governance, financial mismanagement and other issues.
But as the longest-serving Education Minister for some time, installed with a mandate and a broadly-endorsed Accord vision, 2026 will be a defining year. If treasury does not open its wallet or at least promise to do so in forward estimates, the increased per-student funding required to attract and support the million extra learners the Accord vision will be assumed to be a mirage. Beautiful but never to be reached.
The transformation of the sector, under John Dawkins, reshaping institutions, student opportunity and funding, meant that his moniker was attached to that era of change – a recognition of a great reformer.
Without the cash required to deliver the heart of the Accord reforms, Mr Clare risks being remembered instead as a great regulator. A leader with a big stick rather than an excavator – not because of a lack of effort or potential, but rather, by a lack of resourcing support from his colleagues and boss.
In the meantime, while his colleagues ponder what allowance to provide Mr Clare in the Budget, he has flagged even more action items for 2026.
The sector will need, “a greater focus on teaching generally.”
“It worries me that some of our highest ranked institutions have some of the lowest student satisfaction results.
“It is almost like there is an inverse relationship between international rankings and QILT results.
“If we are going to build a bigger system where more people want to go we need to fix this.”