Whether you realise it or not, Australia’s education system underpins much of the inequality that exists in this country. And with many Zee Feed readers enrolled in school, uni or training programs, the education policy promises made by politicians in the 2022 Federal Election could have a big impact on the next few years of your life! Here’s how the Labor, Liberal and Greens parties are proposing to tackle Australia’s education landscape.
We’ll keep updating the Education policy comparisons throughout the election campaign.
Last Updated: 18 April 2022.
Universities
LABOR
- Plan to invest $481.7m under its Future Made in Australia Skills Plan, to deliver up to 20,000 new university places in 2022 and 2023
- Says they will also prioritise universities offering more opportunities for under-represented groups including students from regional, remote and outer-suburban areas, those who are the first in their family to study at university, and First Nations Australians
- Launch the Startup Year program, offering 2,000 Commonwealth supported places at accredited university accelerators for aspiring entrepreneurs
LIBERAL
- Plan to invest $19.7 billion in the university sector as per the 2022 Budget – however, under this budget funding for the higher education sector will decrease by 5.4% in 2022-23
- University Research Commercialisation Action Plan allocates $2.2 billion over 10 years, to support the generation and translation of Australian research into new commercial products
- $11.3m to fund 80 additional places at regional and rural medical schools in 2023-2024
GREENS
- Plan to wipe out all existing student debt (HECS and otherwise) and ensure higher education is free going forward
- 10% increase in funding for every Commonwealth Supported Place at uni
- Investing almost $8 billion into research funding and grants
- Set targets for secure, long-term jobs and reduce the amount of casual and contract jobs at universities by linking this to funding requirements
- Paying for all of the above by implementing a Billionaire and corporate ‘super-profits’ tax
TAFE
LABOR
- Using 70% of the Commonwealth funding set aside for vocational education to improve TAFE. They say this will make 465,000 Fee Free TAFE places available
- This investment also includes $50 million as part of the TAFE Technology Fund to boost IT facilities, workshops, laboratories and tele-health simulators on campuses
- $100 million under the New Energy Apprenticeships program, to support 10,000 apprentices to train in new energy jobs like renewable technology or battery storage
LIBERAL
- While the Coalition is providing $2.4billion in incentives for people in the first two-years of their apprenticeship (see also: Jobs & Economy Policies), they have not specified anything for TAFE or other training organisations
GREENS
- Making TAFE fee-free, as per the above plan for Universities
- Eliminating government funding for vocational education or training providers that operate for private profit
- Establish a new arts school
Schools
LABOR
- $440m in a Schools Upgrade Fund. It will provide grants that schools can use to fund: air quality upgrades to allow classes to continue with COVID (e.g.: outdoor classrooms, air purifiers); additional psychologists and counsellors; or extracurricular like camps, excursions and sport
LIBERAL
- Increase school funding by $8 billion by 2029. This includes doubling the per-student funding for private schools
GREENS
- Make public schools “genuinely free” by covering costs of student resources and out-of-school-hours activities like sport and music
- Prioritise public schools in the funding allocated for building and infrastructure, while increasing this to $400 million a year
- Invest $68.5m to provide free pads and tampons in schools
- $477m in funding to roll out Our Watch’s Respectful Relationships program in all public schools
- Establish an artist in residence program for every school and library across Australia
No ‘gotcha’ moments, no reporting on redundant press conferences, no triggering opinion pieces – Zee Feed is covering the 2022 Federal Election in a way that’s better for your brain.
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