Federal Education Minister Jason Clare backs Premier on SA university merger and meets VCs

Labor made exploring a merger between SA’s universities an election commitment – could it now be a step closer to reality?

Federal Education Minister Jason Clare has backed the Premier’s “big commitment” to explore a merger of South Australian universities, after a meeting to discuss the plans.

He told The Advertiser said the main difference between the latest merger plan and those that had failed in the past was “leadership, from the Premier”.

“It’s potentially a really big micro-economic reform for South Australia,” Mr Clare said.

“The merger of universities could potentially create a top-100 university here in South Australia that would attract the best and brightest from around the world to work and study.

“So, the Premier and the Deputy Premier were taking me through their plan and (I’ve been)

spending yesterday and today, also catching up with the Vice Chancellors and acting Vice Chancellors of the universities here in town.”

Mr Clare met UniSA acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Marnie Hughes-Warrington on Monday and was impressed by that university’s effort to create pathways for disadvantaged students.

“One of the things that university does really well is making sure young people from poorer backgrounds get into university,” he said.

SA Education Minister Blair Boyer with his federal counterpart Jason Clare, during a visit to Westport Primary School. Picture: Tom Huntley

“What I want to do as Federal Minister for Education is help to make sure that we get more people from poorer backgrounds, from more remote parts of Australia, more Indigenous Australians into our universities and getting degrees.

“At the moment, it’s around about 40 per cent of 25-year-olds have a degree but the percentage of people from poorer backgrounds with a degree is about 20 per cent.”

He said he wanted to “make sure we don’t lose that magic” in any merger.

Meetings with Vice-Chancellors at the University of Adelaide and Flinders University took place on Tuesday.

On Monday evening Premier Peter Malinauskas tweeted: “The Deputy Premier and I had a great catch up with Federal Minister for Education, @JasonClareMP to discuss our policy commitment to pursue a possible university merger, amongst other priorities. We’re working with the Federal Govt to achieve the best outcomes for SA.”

The Deputy Premier and I had a great catch up with Federal Minister for Education, @JasonClareMP to discuss our policy commitment to pursue a possible university merger, amongst other priorities. We’re working with the Federal Govt to achieve the best outcomes for SA. pic.twitter.com/VqSzrVZ08t

— Peter Malinauskas (@PMalinauskasMP) June 27, 2022

Mr Clare said that while there were no obstacles to a merger at the federal level, it was important to work together with the state government and “support the work of the Premier”. “We can get more things done when we work together,” he said. “Whether it’s school education or higher education, the collaboration between federal and state governments is really important.”

Both federal and state education ministers toured Westport Primary School at Semaphore Park on Monday morning, where strong positive leadership has created “meaningful improvement” in many areas including NAPLAN results over a decade.

The school community lives by the values: Aim High, Work Hard, Be Kind, No Excuses.