Australian Greens Education Spokesperson, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, has reacted to the latest Grattan Institute Report ‘Mapping Australian higher education 2018’ which shows that growth in professional jobs in Australia did not keep up with the growing number of graduates over the decade, especially in science. It has also found that Commonwealth funding for tuition subsidies will drop for the first time since 2003 and that almost one in four university academics are now casual.

Australian Greens Education Spokesperson, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, has called on the Federal Government to reverse its funding freeze for universities. Reports today reveal that Victoria University is pressuring employees to accept longer hours. Before joining politics, Senator Faruqi was an academic at the University of New South Wales.

Senator Faruqi said:

Australian Greens Education Spokesperson, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, has backed fair pay for early childhood educators and the ‘Big Steps’ campaign.

Australian Greens Education Spokesperson, Senator Mehreen Faruqi,has said that need and equity, not desperate electoral strategies, should guide schools funding in Australia and has called on the Federal Government to reverse its Gonski 2.0 education cuts.

The Australian Greens today announced portfolio allocations for their Senators and MPs ahead of the upcoming Federal Election.

Australian Greens Leader Dr Richard Di Natale said a reallocation had occurred as a result of Mehreen Faruqi’s arrival in the Senate yesterday and Larissa Water’s imminent return.

“We’ve got to hold the big parties to account – and the Australian Greens Senate team will fight for the causes that matter to our community,” Dr Di Natale said.

“This new allocation of portfolios will make the most of each of our Senator’s strengths and passions."

Reports that students are going hungry or dropping out because of the increasing costs of a university education shows the Government has its priorities all wrong, the Greens say.

The Australian Greens are encouraging universities to adopt the guidelines for sexual assault and harassment put forward by Universities Australia today.

“Sexual assault and harassment is all too common on university campuses and in colleges. The Australian Greens hope Universities Australia’s report will help set a new standard for the way universities help victims of sexual assault and harassment,” Greens higher education spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The Turnbull Government is making university more expensive, less accessible and putting more pressure on graduates struggling to get a foothold on their futures.

“It says everything about this Government’s priorities when it would rather give a leg up to millionaires and mega-rich corporations instead of young Australians trying to get their start in life,” Greens higher education spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The Greens won’t support any Uni SA/University of Adelaide merger if it means cutting courses, cutting jobs, closing campuses or compromising on student outcomes, Greens higher education spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

“Universities are constantly being expected to do more with less by this Liberal Government. Cuts to funding, freezing student places, and making it harder for students to afford to study are key factors pressuring universities to undertake these talks,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

Questionable religious organisations using their fringe ideals to treat depression, anorexia, combat bullying and push gay conversion therapy methods are being invited into schools under the Government’s $247 million school chaplaincy program.

“School chaplains are supposed to be prohibited from proselytising, but in Senate Estimates today the Minister wasn’t able to actually explain what this meant,” Greens education spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.