Letters to the Editor

I read with interest the commentary in relation to Federal Government funding of universities in the wake of the 1999/2000 Budget by Professor Val Alder, Pro Vice Chancellor (Research), published in Volume 3, No. 2 of Synergy. Professor Alder has fallen down on her research for this article. Her commentary asserts that younger people are opting out of science. I am advised this is not true — university science enrolments have gone up every year but one over the last decade, increasing by 2.2% from 1997 to 1998, the last year for which enrolment statistics are available. Applications for science courses increased by 2.6% in 1999 over 1998, larger than the 1.2% increase in applications overall. The evidence is that there is increasing, not decreasing, interest in science. Professor Alder further suggests that governments have reduced funding "usually with no prior warning". Again, an erroneous assertion. Amended funding levels were announced in the 1996 Budget and phased in from 1997, with only subsequent changes being some minor increases to fund places at particular universities. This gave the universities plenty of time to organise themselves to raise money from private sources, which they have done successfully. The total income of universities has never been higher than it is in 1999. Synergy readers would be aware that the "mystical green paper" on university research was released in late June. As Education Minister Dr David Kemp has made clear, the Government could not consider additional funding until it was satisfied that the research funding framework was right. The Government is carrying out consultations on the research discussion paper, but the initial reception indicates strong support in the university research sector for the reform proposals. With two major developments in research policy — the green paper and the extra funding for medical research in the space of a few months, research clearly occupies a significant place on the Commonwealth Government's agenda. Darryl Williams Attorney-General

In response to my point that "Over the years we have seen a worrying drift of school students away from the sciences", the Minister argues that university science enrolments have been rising. I agree that the national percentage of university enrolments in science over the past few years has been steady, which translates into larger absolute numbers. However, there is a significant difference between enrolments at universities and the situation in schools, where changes in the relative demographics for science may take some years to flow through to affect total University numbers noticeably. In Western Australia, from 1995-1998 when the population has risen by about 2%, the number of total students taking TEE has fallen steadily. Moreover, within that reduced number there has been a 6.4% drop in physical science and a 5.2% drop in biology. Australia does not need a downwards trend in school science numbers at a time of fast technological innovation and change, when the need is growing for our population to be scientifically and technologically literate. Regarding my comment that changes to universities' funding systems were made with "no prior warning", this bald statement perhaps was extreme — but only in magnitude. The DETYA green paper on research and research training was released in late June and has generated valuable public consultation. This is likely to result in some amendments and changes in the final white paper that will soon go to Cabinet. However, it probably will be almost the year 2000 before the white paper is in its final form, with changes to be implemented at the beginning of 2001 for the whole university sector. Universities have students in the system for up to 4 years ahead. Therefore, they are not organisations that can adjust rapidly to significant changes in the way they are funded for students, and I would argue strongly for a gradual transition period lasting several years. Professor Val Alder Pro Vice Chancellor Research

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