ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
Universities around the nation are struggling due to the coronavirus crisis and many have begged the Federal Government to at least treat them like a private school.
Each year, Australian private and independent schools receive over $3.3bn worth of taxpayer funding.
“Private school parents pay tax, too,” said the Prime Minister Scott Morrison today in Sydney.
“In fact, they pay way more tax than public school parents so why should their kids not receive any tax dollars for their education?”
“It’s pretty straightforward.”
Now the university sector is asking for the same treatment.
Without the opiate of international student money, most of which are paying over double the cost a domestic student would, universities are now facing the prospect of closing their doors for good.
The Vice-Chancellor of South Betoota Polytechnic College explained to our reporters today that without help for the Federal Government, the Diamantina’s most-prestigious tertiary institution will have to slash the amount of courses it offers by up to 30%.
“Universities are a business and we’ve just lost out biggest source of income overnight. We might have to cut courses in our arts and politics school. Our postgraduate law school has already closed for good,”
“We just want to be treated like private schools. We want money for nothing.”
More to come.
