The Cairns Post

FEDERAL BUDGET Regional student boost

- GEOFF EGAN

REGIONAL students stand a better chance at graduating from university and using new skills near their home town under a $96 million cash splash.

In a move that will help close the gap between regional and metropolit­an graduation rates, the Federal Government will fund more regional university places and relax youth allowance rules for regional students.

Also, top graduates in all fields, such as science and engineerin­g, will be encouraged to consider teaching careers outside metro areas.

As part of this paper’s Fair Go For Our Kids campaign in October, we revealed Australian Bureau of Statistics data showing city people were two to three times more likely to hold a university degree than their regional counterpar­ts.

Torrens University’s Social Atlas of Australia data showed 46 per cent of Brisbane 17-year-olds were enrolled in higher education. In regional cities that number was between 20 per cent and 33 per cent.

Last night’s budget promised to attract the best and brightest into education and get them teaching regional kids.

“In order to ensure regional and rural students have access to better educationa­l opportunit­ies in the communitie­s in which they live, the government is providing funding to develop alternativ­e employment-based pathways for high achieving graduates from a variety of fields to become teachers,” budget documents read.

This measure formed another plank in our Fair Go campaign. Some experts suggested more experience­d teachers from alternativ­e background­s could increase educationa­l outcomes in regional communitie­s while others believed incentives could attract our best students to teaching.

James Cook University’s Shaun Belward told NewsRegion­al the shift would require convincing strong science and mathematic­s students that teaching was a good career option.

The Head of Maths said too many good students were told to do medicine or engineerin­g at university instead of teaching.

Another $28 million will help expand access to enabling courses and other sub-bachelor tertiary degrees. Regionally-based universiti­es are among the nation’s biggest enabling course providers but they will have to compete for the extra positions.

An extra 185 new annual bachelor degree places will be provided, at a $14 million cost, at six Regional Study Hubs.

The government announced those hubs at the 2017-18 budget but their locations have not been revealed. The budget predicts that number will grow to 500 new annual bachelor degree places in 2022.

The Youth Allowance parental income threshold will increase $10,000 to $160,000 for regional families from January 1 and an extra $10,000 will be added to that limit for each additional child.

Relaxing the test will cost the budget $53.9 million. Bruce Highway Cooroy to Curra Section D Pine River to Caloundra Beerburrum to Nambour Rail Upgrade Cunningham Highway Amberley interchang­e Pacific Highway Coffs Harbour Bypass being pledged over five years to get Australian­s, particular­ly kids, more physically active and combat obesity. has been set aside to prosecute Russia for its involvemen­t in the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014 that killed 298 people including 38 Australian citizens. in funding has been provided for life saving extending breast cancer medicine, bringing the cost down from $71,820 a year to just $39.40. Bolstering border security, including $50.1M for body scanners and advanced X-ray equipment at 64 airports. $26 million over the next four years for a National Space Agency. to help restore and protect the Great Barrier Reef, including improving water quality and conducting research.

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