Martin Davies image. www.daviesart.com

“If you want to meet certain people, if you want to get a job overseas, if you want to get a post-doc overseas there are only a few universities that matter. Recently, I went to a function at my old university residential college. I spoke to some of the first year law students. There may be roughly the same number of students in first year, but after you take into account the foreign students and the full fee paying students, there is a small handful country kids in first year, there is a small handful of state school and systemic catholic school kids in first year. Country kids and state school/systemic catholic school kids may be going to university, and that may be a panacea to the policy makers. But they ain’t going to Sydney University.” Therese Catanzariti

Therese Catanzariti, an expat lawyer in London, tells head of the university vice-chancellor’s committee Professor Derek Schreuder, interviewed by John Wojdylo in Community is not Communism: The new university battleground explained, to get real about equality of opportunity in higher education. It’s an insider’s response to his claim that access to higher education is getting more, not less, equal.

 

Professor Deryck Schreuder may trumpet that the participation rate has doubled, but where are the participants going?

I studied economics and law at Sydney University in the late 1980’s. I was from the country. I did my HSC at a small country Catholic school, and survived five years of university on Austudy and student jobs.

There were quite a few of us country kids doing economics/law. There were quite a few state school and systemic catholic school kids doing economics/law. And we did OK.

I later worked at a large commercial law firm, was awarded a scholarship to study at University of London, and went to the NSW Bar. Several of my colleagues are now partners at large commercial law firms, senior policy makers, diplomats, merchant bankers, and successful suburban lawyers.

You can be diplomatic, politic or polite Or you can be blunt and honest. I am under no illusions that some of the successes we had were in large part because we went to Sydney University.

That’s not a criticism of the quality and application of the students at other universities. That’s not a criticism of the quality and rigour of the curriculum at other universities. That’s not a criticism of the quality and commitment of the staff at other universities.

Its just that if you want to meet certain people, if you want to get a job overseas, and if you want to get a post-doc overseas there are only a few universities that matter.

Recently, I went to a function at my old university residential college. I spoke to some of the first year law students. There may be roughly the same number of students in first year, but after you take into account the foreign students and the full fee paying students, there is a small handful country kids in first year. There are a small handful of state school and systemic catholic school kids in first year.

Country kids and state school/systemic catholic school kids may be going to university, and that may be a panacea to the policy makers. But they ain’t going to Sydney University.

I recently heard a colleague explain that the purpose of some of the regional universities was to provide graduates to go and work in the suburbs and in the country. Has anyone explained that to the bright eyed and bushy tailed kids who think that going to Lismore or Armidale is the same as going to Sydney?

Australia is in danger of creating a two tier system of universities. One for the toffs. One for the rest of us.

I think HECS graduate tax was a good idea. It didn’t stop me going. And I paid it when I reaped the rewards of my privileged education. I think all Australian students should have that opportunity.

A society should not guarantee equality of outcomes. However, even Milton Friedman agreed in his book “Free To Choose” and even George Bush’s voucher system for public schools have as their core that a society should guarantee equality of opportunity in education.