Disability News: Vol 1 No 4 - Tuesday, 14 June 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:
Schools compete to teach trades
By Linda Doherty Education Editor
June 14, 2005
Catholic, independent and public schools are locked in competition to win eight Australian Technical Colleges earmarked for NSW, where students will combine an apprenticeship with HSC study.
The contenders, all backed by industry and business partners, include the Parramatta Catholic Education Office, Trinity Grammar School, public schools and TAFEs in five regions.
But the NSW Education Department is on a collision course with the Federal Government, because its bids include the intention to hire staff on industrial awards.
The new $350 million federal scheme specifies that teachers be offered individual contracts and performance-based pay.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Schools-compete-to-teach-trades/2005/06/13/1118645753083.html

Universities: you get what you pay for
June 14, 2005
Pushing a view of universities as poorly managed suits a government committed to user-pays education.
Forget the clever country ideals. Australia faces the prospect of becoming a poorly educated one. The very institutions responsible for ensuring that Australia maintains a competitive edge are in danger of withering, according to a survey by The Age.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theage.com.au/news/Editorial/Universities-you-get-what-you-pay-for/2005/06/13/1118645745045.html

Nelson rejects uni bid to lift HECS fees
By Shane Green
David Rood
June 13, 2005
Federal Education Minister Brendan Nelson has rejected a bid by some of Australia's vice-chancellors for another increase in student HECS fees at universities.
The rejection coincides with an Age survey of the nation's vice-chancellors revealing widespread concern about the parlous financial state of the university sector.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/06/12/1118514926940.html?from=top5

Our concept of disability is the real problem
By Philip Graves
June 12, 2005
We can allay anguish over disability in education by scrapping special programs and assisting schools to deal with individual cases.
Recent articles in The Sunday Age have portrayed the Program for Students with a Disability as a program in crisis, beset by increasing demands and departmental cutbacks. The issue is, at least, a measure of how compassionate we are as a society.
It just might be that the question of how we educate children with disabilities is even more important. That the way we approach disability in schools challenges our approaches to education as a whole. That there aren't any cutbacks. That talk of cutbacks and rising numbers are distractions.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theage.com.au/news/Opinion/Our-concept-of-disability-is-the-real-problem/2005/06/11/1118347632434.html

Canberra threat to withhold TAFE money
June 11, 2005 - 5:49AM
The federal government has threatened to withhold billions of dollars from state-run TAFE institutes if the states refuse to offer individual contracts to teachers.
A meeting of federal and state leaders has failed to resolve the stand-off over commonwealth attempts to force industrial relations changes.
But the government has made it clear that a national $5-billion scheme for new training arrangements will go ahead only if TAFEs offer their teachers workplace agreements.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Canberra-threat-to-withhold-TAFE-money/2005/06/11/1118347620552.html

ADHD: drugs not the answer
By JOHN SHEED
June 10, 2005
THE United Nations should investigate the growing worldwide use of amphetamines to modify children's behaviour, a children's behavioural expert said yesterday.
Dr Brian Kean, from Southern Cross University at Lismore, said parents were often too quick to believe their child had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and accept the use of addictive stimulants.
Dr Kean, who has spent 20 years working in special education dealing with behavioural and emotional disturbances among children, said increasing numbers of children, some as young as two, were being diagnosed with ADHD when all they were displaying was normal developmental behaviour.
For the rest of the article go to
http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story.jsp?sectionid=1260&storyid=3260906

Lib deputy opposes Nelson's uni fees 'crusade'
By Paul Austin
State Political Editor
June 10, 2005
The Coalition's attempt to abolish compulsory student unionism faces an unlikely opponent.
A prominent Victorian Liberal has attacked the Howard Government's push to abolish compulsory student unionism, saying it will damage "the very heart" of university culture.
In comments that will anger senior Howard ministers, the deputy leader of the state Liberal Party, Phil Honeywood, has urged every MP with a university or TAFE campus in their electorate to fight the plan, "to ensure that common sense prevails".
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Lib-deputy-opposes-Nelsons-uni-fees-crusade/2005/06/09/1118123957389.html

User-pays will kill life on our uni campuses
June 10, 2005
Voluntary student unionism has been an article of faith for generations of Liberal students.
There is an alternative to student union fees. Let's take a closer look, urges Phil Honeywood.
Voluntary student unionism has been an article of faith for generations of Liberal students. It has provided a focus for the philosophical crusade of freedom of association. It has also provided the rationale to attack incompetent student administrations for mismanagement of the student services fee.
There is a very real danger, however, that our universities and TAFE institutes stand to lose a great deal more than just revenue if the legislation now before Federal Parliament is enacted.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theage.com.au/news/Opinion/Userpays-will-kill-life-on-our-uni-campuses/2005/06/09/1118123955157.html

Drop-out survey vital
Bernard Lane
June 08, 2005
AUSTRALIA cannot afford to rely on outdated and disjointed information about student drop-out rates, a leading academic has warned.
"We need constantly updated information about why students are leaving their courses and what they do from that point," the University of Melbourne's Craig McInnis told the HES.
Professor McInnis said student retention would become an even more vital issue next year with competition for money from the federal Government's new Learning and Teaching Performance Fund.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,15541317%255E12332,00.html

Lecture halls thin out as students follow new paths
By David Rood
June 7, 2005
First-year university students are spending less time in the classroom than 10 years ago, with more students in paid work, research has found.
These students also have a greater sense of purpose in their study, driven by clear occupational and career aspirations.
The research, by Melbourne University's Centre for the Study of Higher Education, found that, on average, students were spending less time on campus.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Lecture-halls-thin-out-as-students-follow-new-paths/2005/06/06/1117910243425.html

Mentors sought to keep kids in school
June 06, 2005
VOLUNTEERS will be used to mentor school children in South Australia in a bid to keep them at school longer.
Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith said it was hoped adults would give their time to inspire, encourage and support young people in their studies.
The program will target students aged 12 to 18 and particularly those who are considered to be at risk of leaving school early.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,15523982%255E29277,00.html

Full fee payers rise in universities
June 6, 2005 - 4:24PM
The number of Australian students paying full university fees rose by more than a quarter last year while the number of students undertaking a HECS funded place has fallen, new figures show.
Department of Education, Science and Ton theraining (DEST) figures show the number of domestic undergraduate students paying full fees at universities rose by 3,061 or 28.2 per cent to 13,959 in 2004 compared to 2003.
Meanwhile, the number of students in HECS-funded places fell 9,786 to 550,579 over the same period.
The DEST figures also show the number of Australians commencing an undergraduate degree fell 5,809 to 254,950 in 2004 compared to the previous year.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Full-fee-payers-rise-in-universities/2005/06/06/1117910234129.html

Repolling ordered in NUS vote
Brendan O'Keefe
June 08, 2005
THE University of New England's electoral tribunal has ordered a new vote on disaffiliation from the National Union of Students after it found "defects in the conduct" of a recent referendum.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,15542656%255E12332,00.html

Unis face legal challenges from students
By Debra Jopson
June 6, 2005
A former student of the private Bond University has called for the Federal Treasurer, Peter Costello, to introduce a mandatory code of conduct under the Trade Practices Act recognising higher education as "a commodity and industry".
Under the user-pays system, students were clearly consumers, John Orr, a Brisbane playwright, argued in a submission to Mr Costello.
A mandatory code of conduct would mean students claiming consumer rights breaches would not have to bear the cost or the stress of litigation against universities because the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission could more easily take action, Mr Orr told the Herald.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Unis-face-legal-challenges-from-students/2005/06/05/1117910189982.html

School works for all, my child
By Justin Norrie Education Reporter
June 3, 2005
Higher school and training retention rates in the short term would boost the workforce by 65,000 and inject $9.2 billion into the economy by 2040, new research has found.
Lifting the proportion of teenagers finishing school and apprenticeships from 80 per cent to 90 per cent over five years would be the most effective offset for Australia's ageing population and stagnating workforce, says the report from the Business Council of Australia and the Dusseldorp Skills Forum.
It estimates such an increase would have the same effect as increasing the migrant intake by 180,000 a year for 35 years.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/School-works-for-all-my-child/2005/06/02/1117568322859.html

Out of the lecture theatre and on the march
By Kelly Burke Higher Education Reporter
June 2, 2005
Unions flexed their muscles yesterday in a dress rehearsal for what the ACTU secretary, Greg Combet, warned will be months of protests and industrial action.
About 1000 angry tertiary education staff, some in full academic regalia, marched on Belmore Park in protest against the Federal Government's changes to industrial relations legislation, including the introduction of compulsory Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs) for university and TAFE staff. Tertiary students joined staff in the national day of action, adding to the agenda the Government's push for voluntary student unionism.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Out-of-the-lecture-theatre-and-on-the-march/2005/06/01/1117568262414.html

Local uni student numbers fall
June 1, 2005 - 8:19AM
The number of Australians at university has fallen for only the second time in 50 years, the federal opposition says.
Opposition education spokeswoman Jenny Macklin cited Education Department figures revealing the number of Australian students attending university fell by 3,133 from 2003 to 2004.
The drop in the number of Australian students contrasted with an increase of 18,158 in the number of overseas students.
"These figures confirm that the Howard government has caused the number of students at university to drop for only the second time in 50 years," Ms Macklin said in a statement.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Local-uni-student-numbers-fall/2005/06/01/1117568227826.html

Deaf boy seeks $50,000 compensation
Kate Uebergang, tribunal reporter
01jun05
A PROFOUNDLY deaf child who struggled for years in the classroom is seeking more than $50,000 compensation from the Education Department.
Dylan Beasley, 13, claims he suffered humiliation, anxiety and stress while a student at Pearcedale Primary School between 1999 and 2003.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,15470324%255E2862,00.html

Access Allowed
Sue Bushell, CIO
01/06/2005 12:12:59
Thanks to digitization and the Web, institutions like the National Library of Australia, the Australian War Memorial and the National Archives have changed their view of service delivery and are rapidly transforming themselves from providers of collections to providers of access.
For much of this vast country's history the tyranny of distance has meant rural Australians have been pretty much denied access to our largely Canberra-based cultural institutions, and research has traditionally suffered most.
Now, thanks to digitization and a Web presence, institutions like the National Library of Australia, the Australian War Memorial and the National Archives of Australia have found their mission transformed. With a new-found ability to deliver a service beyond their doors, their focus has drastically changed, from being mere providers of collections to providers of access.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.cio.com.au/index.php/id;1064201417;fp;4;fpid;21

Tertiary workers rally over IR reforms
June 1, 2005 - 9:09PM
Thousands of academics, TAFE teachers, support workers and students have rallied across Australia to oppose the federal government's industrial relations reforms and their impact on higher education.
Large protests in capital cities and regional areas were held as part of a National Day of Action, organised by a coalition of unions representing the nation's university and TAFE staff.
ACTU secretary Greg Combet told a rally of more than a thousand people in central Sydney that the Howard government was attempting to use its funding power over tertiary institutions to further its reform agenda.
Universities and TAFEs were being forced into offering new individual Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs) to staff or face funding cuts of $1.5 billion, he said.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Tertiary-workers-rally-over-IR-reforms/2005/06/01/1117568259357.html

University blues
By Dylan Welch
May 28, 2005
Young people are struggling to find jobs in academia - and that could spell trouble for the nation, writes Dylan Welch.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.smh.com.au/news/Employment-News/University-blues/2005/05/27/1117129872426.html

Employment:
Give disabled workers a go
Jess Blanch and Peter Switzer
June 14, 2005
BUSINESSES facing labour shortages have been urged to hire more disabled people, and take advantage of workplace benefits and new government assistance that some employers are already exploiting.
Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Kevin Andrews said it was critical to engage employers in reforms through initiatives such as the recently launched Employer Roundtable for People with Disabilities, in which representatives from Australian organisations such as IBM, Westpac and Sara Lee work together to create more positions for the disabled.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,15604079%255E643,00.html

Trainee completions up 11 per cent
15:45 AEST Wed Jun 1 2005
AAP
The number of people finishing apprenticeships and traineeships rose last year, but the number of Australians starting training dropped.
New figures from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) show 139,000 people completed their training in 2004, up 11 per cent on 2003.
But almost as many people, 133,000, dropped out of their training last year, and there was a five per cent drop cent in the number of people starting an apprenticeship or traineeship.
For the rest of the article go to
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=24373

Welfare:
Why should we be a nation of workaholics?
June 8, 2005
The federal budget's emphasis on work raises some serious questions, writes Ross Gittins.
It was written all over last month's federal budget, but nobody could see it. I missed it myself. And it wouldn't surprise me if the very authors of the budget missed its significance.
Why did everyone miss it? Because it has become so commonplace. It's just what you'd expect economists and politicians to be on about.
What was it? Work. Work and more work. The budget was obsessed by work. Those who aren't working should be. Those who are working aren't working hard enough. And those considering retirement should resist the temptation.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theage.com.au/news/Ross-Gittins/Why-should-we-be-a-nation-of-workaholics/2005/06/07/1118123835538.html

Safety net of $42 million for welfare reform fallout
By Stephanie Peatling
June 6, 2005
Up to $42 million has been set aside to cover the basic bills of families whose welfare payments are cut off when the Federal Government's welfare to work system comes into force next year.
Most of the changes will come into effect from July 1 next year when people receiving disability or single parent benefits will face tougher mutual obligation requirements or face the suspension of their welfare payments.
But the Government has had to set aside $42 million of its $3.6 billion welfare package to ensure people will still be able to buy food and pay their bills if their payments are cut off.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Safety-net-of-42-million-for-welfare-reform-fallout/2005/06/05/1117910189967.html

Glenn Milne: Ambushes on the road to reform
May 30, 2005
THE federal Government is about to confront a powerful corollary of its new-found dominance in the Senate: its unexpected ability to push through more radical reforms than it previously considered politically possible will also, in turn, galvanise a coalition of interest groups opposed to those reforms.
The danger for the Government will be if these groups coalesce to form a broad front of combined sectional concerns campaigning together at the next election for Kim Beazley.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,15444398%255E7583,00.html

Disability sector to target marginals
By Danny Rose
May 30, 2005
THE peak body for Australians with disabilities has outlined a plan to pressure the Federal Government where it hurts – in marginal seats – over its attempt to slash its $30 billion welfare bill.
Australian Federation for Disability Organisations (AFDO) today highlighted 14 seats where it said the number of people on the Disability Support Pension (DSP) exceeded the number of votes needed for the seat to change hands.
The organisation opposes the Government's DSP reforms outlined in the federal Budget, which include redirecting many new applicants into a different pension system based on job-search.
The AFDO says people on the new scheme will be on average $44 a week worse off, while those on the existing scheme will receive less help to obtain work.
AFDO chief executive Maryanne Diamond said Bass, in northern Tasmania, was one example of a seat where it would seek to pressure the Government into change.
For the rest of the article go to
http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story.jsp?sectionid=1274&storyid=3205497

Govt under pressure over welfare cuts
The peak body for Australians with disabilities has outlined a plan to pressure the federal government where it hurts - in marginal seats - over its attempt to slash its $30 billion welfare bill.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Govt-under-pressure-over-welfare-cuts/2005/05/30/1117305545968.html

Howard's income claims an 'illusion'
Mike Steketee, National affairs editor
May 30, 2005
A LEADING charity has challenged John Howard's claim that low-income households have enjoyed the fastest growth in earnings and says there has been a serious widening of the income gap.
A study to be released today by the St Vincent de Paul Society warns that Australia is making a "headlong dash into the chasm of inequality".
The paper, The Reality of Income Inequality in Australia, accuses the Prime Minister of relying on mathematical illusion for his arguments.
It tackles him on what it calls his "remarkable conclusion", repeated in parliament last Thursday, that low-income households have enjoyed the strongest growth in private incomes.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,15448256%255E2702,00.html

Budget's hidden 'reform': a two-class welfare system
By Ross Gittins
May 30, 2005
MONDAY COMMENT
All those decrying the federal budget as a missed opportunity have missed the great "reform" it contains. They've missed it because it's not something the Government has wanted to draw attention to.
And if I was responsible for it, I wouldn't want to draw attention to it, either.
Hidden behind all the worthy talk about encouraging sole parents and the disabled back into the workforce is a much more cold-blooded decision to switch the nation to a two-class welfare system - a system where some people get benefits a lot higher than others.
For the rest of the article go to
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2005/05/29/1117305499088.html

Media Releases:
Student poverty not sexy
Senator Natasha Stott Despoja
Democrats Senator for South Australia
Australian Democrats spokesperson for Higher Education
Fresh reports of students entering the sex industry to pay their way through university have added to the mountain of evidence about the inadequacy of our student income support system, which is currently under examination by a Senate inquiry, according to the Australian Democrats.
Democrats' Higher Education Spokesperson Senator Natasha Stott Despoja said the Committee overseeing the inquiry had also heard evidence of students being forced to become human guinea pigs, by undergoing medical tests, to support themselves while they study.
For the rest of this Media release go to
http://www.democrats.org.au/news/index.htm?press_id=4629&display=1

Inquires:
National Inquiry into Employment and Disability - Issues Paper 5
Dear all
The National Inquiry into Employment and Disability today released Issues Paper 5, a mapping of Commonwealth Government services regarding employment and disability. Issues Paper 5 may be found at http://www.humanrights.gov.au/disability_rights/employment_inquiry/index.htm.
From the outset of this Inquiry, it was apparent that there was a need for clearer information on the services offered by the Commonwealth regarding employment of people with disabilities. On 15 March 2005, the Inquiry met with a range of Commonwealth agencies to ask for their assistance in developing a map of the relevant services. As a starting point, the Inquiry then sent a set of 15 questions to each agency. The answers provided are collated in the table that forms part of this paper.
After reviewing the submissions to the Inquiry so far, it is clear that one of the interim recommendations will relate to the information that should be made available to people with disabilities, employers and employment services. A fundamental aspect of the information needs concern the government services available to those parties. The Inquiry is therefore eager to receive feedback on this initial stage of information gathering. Relevant questions are included on page 2 of the Issues Paper.
Please send any suggestions that you may have about the information contained in this Issues Paper to employmentinquiry@humanrights.gov.au , by Friday 24 June 2005. Inquiries may be directed to Kate Temby or Cristina Ricci on 02 9284 9767.
To date, the Inquiry has received 124 submissions, and the Inquiry team is currently working on an interim report which will be released at the end of July 2005.
Thank you for assistance provided to the Inquiry thus far.

Vol 1 No 4
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