Slippery Steve Tries To Slide Out Of Funding Crisis

ACT Tertiary Education Dr Muriel Newman says the timing of the announced moratorium on funding for private training providers is designed to help struggling Associate Education Minister Steve Maharey get out of his current row with tertiary education institutions over funding.

"Having landed himself in a real mess with the tertiary sector over his budget proposals the Minister is now clearly trying to curry favour with the heads of public education institutions by taking a swipe at private education providers ' in the hope this will help get him out of his latest jam.

"This is the worst kind of Government meddling and shows that the Government's new Tertiary Education Commission may well be little more than a front for Ministerial dictatorship.

"Private training providers have done much to improve the diversity, convenience and choice of tertiary education. In a competitive environment students are the main beneficiaries.

"Mr Maharey's moratorium clearly signals that this Government is ideologically opposed to the private provision of tertiary education, yet the trend in most OECD countries is towards choice and diversity in education, with the focus on excellence being a driving force. This Government is clearly heading in exactly the opposite direction," Dr Newman said.

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