To be a Aussie Uni student...not!

The 21st Century Austalian univeristy student attends universities which have:

• steadily lost funding over a decade; class sizes are large and resources run down
• been silenced on speaking out on controversial issues
• lost many student student supports through voluntary student unionism
• had to charge fees
  

These students no longer recieve the financial supports that they used to with cuts to student bursaries. Austudy (previously known as TEAS) pays $348.20 per fortnight to eligible students...that would barely pay rent in Sydney. They also go to uni in an era when there is more pressure on their families with their own high working hours.
Reports are suggesting that things are tough for students.

Education Minister Julie Bishop argues Australia is more generous to students than many other developed countries, and that with a tight labour market students can earn more than in the past.

This is a woman who did her degree in the early 70s..a law degree no less ..so paid no fees for it and probably got government financial help to do it.

Bishop also fails to understand that "evidence shows–consistently, and over time–that countries ...invest heavily in education and skills benefit economically and socially from that choice. For every euro invested in attaining high-skilled qualifications, tax payers get even more money back through economic growth. Moreover, this investment provides tangible benefits to all of society" (Andreas Schleicher, OECD Education Directorate)

She also neglects to mention that many countries are indeed more generous than Australian eg Sweden, Norway and Finland. There are other models for student funding which may work better for society. The cost per annum for a student and their family of studying away from home in Australia is between $US 7000 and $US 38 000 compared with $US6000 to $21 000 in France, $US 4352 to $US 10 379 in Norway and $7312 to $US12 317 in Sweden. And we have a lower cost of living?
Thank heavens The Labor leader Rudd is taking education seriously.