Opinion

Freedom, not more red tape, will save universities

There is no doubt that problems exist in Australia’s seat of higher learning. But the solution is better internal governance not bigger bureaucracies.

Steven SchwartzProfessor

Jan 29, 2025 – 5.00am

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Senator Tony Sheldon, chair of the Senate Education and Employment Committee, is seeking an inquiry into what he ominously calls a “spate” of governance issues at universities.

His checklist is a mix of familiar grievances and new headline fodder: “wage theft” from casual workers, a pathetic reaction to campus antisemitism, extravagant spending on consultants and concern over the composition, transparency and accountability of university governing bodies.

Emeritus Professor Steven Schwartz, AM, led the review of university admissions in England. He is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies, former vice chancellor of Murdoch, Macquarie and Brunel Universities.