Disability News: Vol 1 No 2 - Thursday, 19 May 2005
Enhancing post secondary education, training and employment opportunities for people with a disability RDLO & DCOs National Website http://www.adcet.edu.au/rdco/	Compiled by Timothy Hart DCO for Northern, Central and Southern Sydney

To return to the DCO Disability Newsletter archive page go to http://www.cdds.med.usyd.edu.au/dco/newsletter or click here

Education:
Another blow to disabled, sole parents
By Adele Horin
May 19, 2005
Thousands of sole parents and people with disabilities will find it harder to study at university or TAFE under the Federal Government's welfare-to-work changes.
In some cases disability pensioners who want to pursue an education will be up to $155 a week worse off. As well as being on a lower rate of government benefit, they will no longer be eligible for the $31.20 a week Pensioner Education Supplement, paid to people on the Disability Support Pension and on the Parenting Payment Single who pursue approved study.
However, the supplement is not available to people on the Newstart Allowance to which some disability pensioners and sole parents will be shifted under the budget changes.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Another-blow-to-disabled-sole-parents/2005/05/18/1116361618807.html

Universities funding crisis revealed
By Kelly Burke Higher Education Reporter
May 19, 2005
Half of the state's public universities are now in the red and three universities are unable to meet their current liabilities, the NSW Auditor-General's report has found.
The report, tabled in the Parliament yesterday, showed that the combined surplus for the 10 universities in NSW plummeted from $168 million to $49 million between 2003 and 2004, with Newcastle and Western Sydney each posting record deficits of almost $27million.
The University of Technology Sydney was more than $12million in the red, while the University of New South Wales and Southern Cross University posted deficits of $10million and $6million respectively.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Universities-funding-crisis-revealed/2005/05/18/1116361618768.html

Masses move to VET for jobs
Brendan O'Keefe
May 18, 2005
STUDENTS are moving from the university sector to vocational education and training in their tens of thousands to improve job prospects, new figures show.
The ratio of students leaving university for TAFE and vocational education and training compared with the number of students making the reverse journey was about three to one, according to a study for the National Centre for Vocational Education Research.
The NCEVER study, by University of South Australia academics Roger Harris, Robert Sumner and Linda Rainey shows that between 1997 and 2002, Australia witnessed a "considerable growth in movement from the higher education sector to the VET sector and a decline in movement in the opposite direction".
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,15321596%255E12332,00.html

Students flow from Uni to VET
The flow of students from higher education to vocational education (VET) is three times greater than the reverse, a new report shows. But, the transition from higher education to VET is smoother for students. These findings are contained in ‘Student traffic: Two-way movement between higher education and vocational education’, published by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research. To download a copy, visit
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/1549.html.

Costello rules out Newcastle Uni rescue
Federal Treasurer Peter Costello has all but ruled out a Commonwealth rescue package to assist the cash-strapped Newcastle University.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200505/s1370860.htm

Uni head warns of rise in class sizes
By David Rood
Higher Education Reporter
May 17, 2005
A second wave of changes to the higher-education sector raises concerns.
Victorian university students face a further blow-out in class sizes and a deterioration in facilities, the head of Melbourne University has warned.
Melbourne vice-chancellor Glyn Davis said universities faced "difficult times" as the Federal Government's second wave of higher-education changes took hold.
Recently, the Howard Government introduced new industrial relations requirements, decided against increasing the indexation of university funding, and introduced laws abolishing compulsory student union fees.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Uni-head-warns-of-rise-in-class-sizes/2005/05/16/1116095908445.html

Costello urges uni to take responsibility for financial woes
Federal Treasurer Peter Costello says Newcastle University is responsible for its current financial woes and it is unreasonable to expect the Government or taxpayers to rescue it.
In a bid to cut a $28 million budget deficit, the university has announced it is cutting 450 jobs over the next year.
The decision has prompted calls for the Government to reinstate the institution's regional status so it can secure more federal funding.
Mr Costello says the Government already gives Newcastle University a generous level of funding.
"The university is very substantially funded in the Budget now when the university is given the Commonwealth grants," he said.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200505/s1371044.htm

Ball rolling on national Yr 12 exam
Jeremy Roberts
May 16, 2005
BRENDAN Nelson has floated the idea of an Australian Certificate of Education (ACE) on many occasions, but last Friday the federal education minister put his plan into action.
Nelson believes a US-style voluntary aptitude test could be a key step towards raising standards of secondary school graduates across the country.
He points to evidence that the HSC had been "dumbed down", he has lamented slipping standards, and last Friday he referred to the eight state-based examinations as a "dog's breakfast".
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,15297494%255E13881,00.html

60% of uni students live below poverty line
By Amy Lawson
May 15, 2005
University study in Australia is on the verge of becoming one of the most expensive in the world, experts have warned.
The 2005 Global Higher Education Rankings revealed that university study in Australia was the fifth most expensive in the developed world, behind Japan, New Zealand, the UK and the US.
But rises in the higher education contribution scheme (HECS) and an increase in full-fee-paying students could result in Australia's costs soaring even higher, said Ian Dobson, head of the Australasian branch of the Educational Policy Institute (EPI) whose North American branch conducted the study.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/60-of-uni-students-live-below-poverty-line/2005/05/14/1116024407236.html

Disabilities program faces collapse
By Claire Miller
May 15, 2005
Victoria's integration program for students with disabilities and impairments is unravelling in the face of political and bureaucratic inertia.
An investigation by The Sunday Age reveals the once- innovative program is struggling after years of inadequate resourcing and professional training, departmental and specialist staff cuts, poor accountability and budget-driven tightening of eligibility criteria.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Disabilities-program-faces-collapse/2005/05/14/1116024405715.html

Testing time for national exam plan
By Justin Norrie Education reporter
May 14, 2005
A national year 12 test will be assessed by the Australian Council for Educational Research as an alternative to the "dog's breakfast" of separate state exams.
The Federal Government awarded the council the tender this week to investigate a national secondary certificate.
Although it is only at a preliminary stage, the Education Minister, Brendan Nelson, said he was determined to see the project through to its conclusion.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Testing-time-for-national-exam-plan/2005/05/13/1115843374399.html

Members only
May 13, 2005
Voluntary unionism for students has many worried that university life as they know it will die away, reports Judith Ireland.
THE baby politicians are out in force at Sydney University, where election season is again upon the 30,000-odd students. In a bid to be one of the six to sit on the student union's board of directors, the 12 candidates and their supporters have madly covered every spare bit of pavement, noticeboard and toilet door with chalk and posters - no doubt sacrificing a few thousand trees in the process.
But if the voluntary student unionism bill gets through the Senate in July, all this brouhaha could mean nothing more than a sentence in the successful candidates' CVs. Without the funding provided by universal student unionism and its compulsory fee, the union's long-term survival looks questionable.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Members-only/2005/05/12/1115843315648.html

Employment:

Mentally ill want and need work
By Ruth Pollard Health Reporter
May 19, 2005
Despite labour shortages around the country, the Federal Government is ignoring hundreds of thousands of potential workers because they are mentally ill.
People with psychiatric disabilities fare worse than any other disability category in getting and keeping jobs, and three-quarters of Australians with psychotic disorders do not work.
"Working is such an important adult role; it is so much part of identity in developed society," said Gary Bond, a visiting US professor of psychology.
"It has always been the question: are people capable of working? Yes, they are capable, and yes, people with mental illness want to work."
The failure of successive federal governments to address the needs of mentally ill people contrasted with comparable Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries, said Rob Ramjan, chief executive of the Schizophrenia Fellowship of NSW.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Mentally-ill-want-and-need-work/2005/05/18/1116361618811.html

It's back to work for some
Getting back to work is one of the key points of this year’s Budget, as the Government outlined measures to overhaul welfare support to mothers, disability pensioners, and mature-aged workers.
Worth $3.6 billion over five years, the Budget will enforce parents of school-aged children, the long-term unemployed, older people, or those with a disability, to find employment, or risk losing their welfare payments.
For disability pensioners who apply for Disability Support Pension from July next year, full pension is only available if they are unable to work for 15 hours a week.
Those considered ‘able to work’ for between 15 to 29 hours a week, will be required to find a part-time work for at least 15 hours, to continue receiving pension payments.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.pvedc.com.au/cgi-bin/articles/display.pl?article_id=779

Find jobs or face the sack, agencies told
Patricia Karvelas
May 18, 2005
JOB Network agencies that fail to get single mothers, disabled pensioners and the long-term unemployed into work could be sacked and replaced by new businesses under new six-monthly rolling assessments.
Workforce Participation Minister Peter Dutton said the system would allow businesses to enter the market every six months under the new funding arrangements, meant to last until July 2009.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,15324677%255E2702,00.html

Disabled jobs will be boss's business
Patricia Karvelas
May 13, 2005
COMPANY heads have formed a taskforce to ensure the disabled do not end up on dole queues as a result of the Howard Government's welfare reforms.
The bosses of some of Australia's biggest companies will meet in Melbourne today to draw up a strategy to help people with disabilities get into the workforce.
Employment Minister Kevin Andrews said he had invited representatives from companies including McDonald's, Westpac, Toyota and Woolworths to form the taskforce after he became concerned by the low level of employment opportunities for the disabled.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,15270720%5E2702,00.html

Workforce rate trails richest countries
By John Garnaut
May 13, 2005
Australia's workforce participation rate reached a record in April, but remains below the rich-country average.
While almost 10 million people are now in work, compared with 540,000 officially unemployed, new figures from the Bureau of Statistics show 3.5 million people of working age are neither working nor unemployed.
This is why the Prime Minister, John Howard, told Parliament yesterday that the federal budget this week invested $2 billion to shift more than 180,000 people from welfare to work.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Workforce-rate-trails-richest-countries/2005/05/12/1115843315612.html

Query over 'welfare to work' job supply
By Misha Schubert
Political correspondent
Canberra
May 12, 2005
Peter Costello's plan to push 190,000 people from welfare to work would only happen if the economy continued to boom, a labour market analyst said yesterday.
But a slowing of growth or a slump in demand for our exports could slash the ambitious forecast, potentially pushing up the unemployment rate.
The Treasurer yesterday insisted plenty of jobs existed for welfare recipients who would be forced to look for work under new rules.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theage.com.au/news/Budget-2005/Query-over-welfare-to-work-job-supply/2005/05/11/1115585032732.html

Welfare:
Noel Pearson: Working for a better life
May 17, 2005
WELFARE reform is justified on various grounds. One aim is to increase Australia's prosperity by alleviating the cost of welfare, widening the revenue base and facing up to labour shortages.
Second, there is the moral mutual obligation argument that welfare recipients are indebted to the taxpayers.
I don't much care for these two motivations. The argument that animates my insistence on welfare reform is that it is in the best interests of disadvantaged people. My advice to the federal Government on welfare reform is simple: we need maximum pressure on people to work and the fairest reward for working.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,15307068%255E7583,00.html

Govt to outsource disability test
May 17, 2005 - 5:24AM
The federal government is to outsource the task of determining whether disabled people are capable of working or are entitled to the disability support pension.
Private companies will conduct the new Comprehensive Work Capacity Assessment (CWCA) in a further move signalling the privatisation of the welfare system and the downgrading of Centrelink's role, The Australian Financial Review reports.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Govt-to-outsource-disability-test/2005/05/17/1116095928174.html

Labor and Dems attack disability changes
May 17, 2005
Labor and the Australian Democrats have attacked the federal government's plan to outsource the task of determining whether disabled people are capable of working or are entitled to the disability support pension.
Under the plan, private companies will conduct the new Comprehensive Work Capacity Assessment (CWCA) in a further move signalling the privatisation of the welfare system.
The job will be put out to tender, with the expectation that the private-sector agencies in the government's Job Network will be the main winners from the change.
The government will provide $316 million over four years to establish and administer the CWCA as part of its $3.6 billion welfare-to-work reforms announced in last week's budget.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Labor-and-Dems-attack-disability-changess/2005/05/17/1116095966212.html

Government defends welfare changes
May 15, 2005 - 7:44PM
The federal government concedes few disability pensioners are exploiting welfare, but maintains something needs to be done to control its cost.
The government unveiled a shake-up of the welfare system in the budget last week, targeting people on disability support pensions and single mothers.
The new regime will push disabled people into work and apply tough new work capability assessments.
Taking effect from July next year, the new rules will only apply to people moving on to the disabled pension at the time.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Government-defends-welfare-changes/2005/05/15/1116095851101.html

Welfare changes face a fight
By Misha Schubert, Farah Farouque
May 12, 2005
Churches have threatened to quit the Government's privatised job network over tough new dole suspension rules, with the Salvation Army saying the changes are not "Christian justice".
Welfare advocates also have slammed moves to cut the payments for future generations of sole parents and disabled people.
Under Tuesday's changes, people on the dole who do not turn up for a job interview face more immediate penalties. If their job agency cannot reach them within two days, it would be forced to file a report with Centrelink, which would suspend dole payments. The money would not be restored until after they had resumed contact with their Job Network agency.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theage.com.au/news/Budget-2005/Welfare-changes-face-a-fight/2005/05/11/1115585028182.html

Leaked report says welfare penalties too harsh
AM - Saturday, 7 May , 2005 08:10:00
Reporter: Louise Yaxley
ELIZABETH JACKSON: A leaked report obtained by the ABC shows penalties imposed on welfare recipients have been excessive, unfair and counter-productive. The report was handed to the Government last December, but it hasn't been made public.
It found the rules are confusing and complicated and recommends a new system with reduced penalties less likely to hurt welfare recipients and their families. Tuesday's Federal Budget will include a package of new measures aimed at moving people from welfare to work.
As Louise Yaxley reports, welfare groups fear that will lead to even more people facing this tough system of penalties.
LOUISE YAXLEY: So many people were having their unemployment payments cut because they were failing to meet the conditions that it became a political problem. The Government set up a taskforce, and last December that group reported to the minister that the penalties are too tough.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2005/s1362259.htm

Inquiries:
Mums of disabled kids hit back over cuts to funding
By Hannah Edwards
May 15, 2005
The Sun-Herald
Single mother Debbie Matthews has gone into debt as a result of the NSW Government's decision to cut funding to education programs for disabled young adults.
To keep her daughter, Leanne, in a five-day care program, Ms Matthews has been forced to borrow $3500.
The loan she has taken out will cover the shortfall created by the Government's April funding cuts. As a result of the shortfall, Leanne, who has Down syndrome and needs full-time care, would have been able to attend the program only three days a week.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Mums-of-disabled-kids-hit-back-over-cuts-to-funding/2005/05/14/1116024407086.html

Hearing to debate disability service cuts
Wednesday, 18 May 2005.
Controversial cuts to disability services for young school leavers will be discussed at a New South Wales parliamentary hearing in the southern NSW region today.
An Upper House committee is investigating the Government's decision to end the Adult Training, Learning and Support (ATLAS) program for young adults and school leavers with a disability.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.abc.net.au/news/items/200505/1371053.htm?riverina

Budget Compounds Student Poverty
Senator Natasha Stott Despoja
Democrats Senator for South Australia
Australian Democrats spokesperson for Higher Education
Todays hearing of the Senate Inquiry into Student Income Support, initiated by Democrats Higher Education Spokesperson Senator Natasha Stott Despoja, has highlighted how the Budget failed to address crucial issues.
The Inquiry heard today from the National Welfare Rights Centre that parents and people with disabilities will find it even more difficult to study from July 2006 because they will no longer be eligible for the $62.40 a fortnight from the Pensioner Education Scheme and will receive a lower rate of payment.
For the rest of this press release go to
http://www.democrats.org.au/news/index.htm?press_id=4582&display=1

Higher Education Support Amendment (Abolition of Compulsory Up-front Union Fees) Bill 2005
On 11 May 2005, the Senate referred to the Employment, Workplace Relations and Education Legislation Committee the provisions of the Higher Education Support Amendment (Abolition of Compulsory Up-front Union Fees) Bill 2005.
The committee has called for submissions from interested parties, to be sent to the committee secretariat by 17 June 2005. They should broadly address the two matters which the committee has adopted as its terms of reference: assessment of the likely effect of the legislation on the provision of student services, and related consequences; and consideration of the experience of universities and students where legislation has been adopted to regulate student unions, such as in Victoria and Western Australia.
For the rest of this go to
http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/eet_ctte/highed_unionfees/info.htm

To return to the DCO Disability Newsletter archive page go to http://www.cdds.med.usyd.edu.au/dco/newsletter or click here