By Holly Thompson
Universities across Western Australia are probing ways to get high school graduates back into the classroom in the face of a declining number of people choosing higher education.
International student numbers have bounced back after the state’s closed borders resulted in a huge decline during the pandemic.
Klinger said domestic student numbers were still dropping, and that future-proofing their enrolments involved “a bit of crystal ball gazing.”Credit: Cameron Myles/ Supplied
But Murdoch University Deputy Vice Chancellor of Education, Professor Don Klinger, said domestic student numbers were still dropping, and future-proofing their enrolments involved “a bit of crystal ball gazing”.
“It is really about looking at what critical skills will be needed in 10, 20 or 30 years’ time, and then getting students to understand why what they are studying will matter in the future,” he said.
“Sustainability is a huge industry universities should focus on given the predicted shift towards renewables.
Murdoch University Deputy Vice Chancellor of Education Professor Don Klinger.
“Another example is the evolution of artificial intelligence and the role that will play going forward.”
Klinger said universities were competing with trade-based careers, which often offered more immediate rewards both in terms of job security and pay, but career progression and security was, in the long term, better for university graduates.
He said educational inequality was another barrier to higher education, and that providing scholarships or alternative entry pathways and taking on outreach at regional schools or schools with lower socio-educational advantage, was another important step.
Klinger flagged the change in fee structure for different degrees had also influenced students to move away from certain areas, and that it would have been better to change the funding for each course instead.
University of Newcastle School of Education senior lecturer Dr Leanne Fray studied the trends of student enrolment before COVID hit, and plans to re-start her research in 2024.
She noticed a significant drop in people choosing to study at university nationally and internationally since the pandemic, and, like Klinger, speculated this was related to job prospects.
“It used to be drilled in to students graduating from high school that university was the only pathway to having a successful career, especially one that is well paid,” she said.
“But many people graduating from university, especially during the pandemic, have actually struggled to find employment but have watched friends who learnt a trade get jobs fast, at a much better rate of pay.”
Education has had one of the biggest drops in numbers, which Fray said was partly a result of how the industry was portrayed publicly.
In March 2022, then-acting federal education minister Stuart Robert blamed “dud teachers” for the decline in the academic results of Australian students, stating the “bottom 10 per cent of teachers … can’t read and write”.
“Obviously, these comments had a devastating effect on teachers already employed, but if you are hearing these comments as a student considering starting study in education, it is very off-putting,” Fray said.
WA Education Minister Tony Buti said it was clear the state government needed to take a closer look at what was and was not working when it came to getting students back to university, and has launched the school pathways review.
“I am very keen to see the findings ... to better understand what can be done, so every student can reach their potential,” Buti said.
“While a university education is incredibly important, we must continually strive for better in all areas of education and embrace a culture of excellence whether that is university, in training or learning on the job.”
Buti said the School Curriculum and Standards Authority was also refreshing the WACE system to ensure it was achieving its intended goals.
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