In this paper Andrew Norton argues that a more realistic loan cap needs to be implemented so that the federal government’s FEE-HELP scheme can achieve its stated objectives of reducing unmet demand and assisting students to access their preferred course. FEE-HELP has the potential to reform higher education radically, as it extends loans to all...

This analysis of 2003 results in the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment finds that Australian students are among the world’s leading users of computers in education both at school and in the home. ACER led the international consortium that conducted the PISA 2003 assessments and collected the data used in this new analysis.

This report is based on the 2004 DEST project, High Demand Government Schools, which was prompted by the Department's priority policy interest in quality schooling and 'choices in schooling'. Twenty government schools for which there was high demand for enrolments were selected from across Australia, using the local knowledge of State Education Departments and the...

Each year, a number of university students in Australia leave the courses in which they have enrolled. Some change to other courses while others defer their course or leave the university altogether. What motivates students to change or leave their university course and does the decision result in a positive or negative outcome for the...

Around 1.6 million people undertook training across Australia's public vocational education and training (VET) system in 2004. The data reveals a decline in the number of students undertaking training and hours of teaching delivery for the first time. Overall, participation decreased by 7.1 per cent between 2003 and 2004, and the total number of hours...