All tertiary education should be strictly user-pays.
ttbn,
Ability to comprehend education should be the Nr1 criteria with Nr2 being able to convert the acquired knowledge into being useful to society instead of being a burden as has been the outcome thus far !
If a student has the brains but the parents don't have the funds, Govt or other sponsors should provide loans on a probationary basis !
We'd definitely clear that swamp with that tactic !

This article is desperately in need of Tables and Curves for clarity. Otherwise the various figures, measures and outcomes are cherry picked then presented to we readers.

Lower charges for Doctors of Medicine and Nurses are more than justified to face COVID demand. COVID may last years.

Through the maze of clashing numbers presented by the author I don't see comparisons of how much the various professions will on average pay according to the Repay HECS taxation threshold of what? Amounts exceeding $45,000 pay per year?

For example: Doctors with average pay of $100,000 in the 5 years after graduation will pay much more back to the Government than most other Professions.

eg. This is compared to Arts students who may only need to repay very little if their average pay is $50,000 for the 5 years after graduation.

plantagenet,
Excuse my ignorance but what kind of jobs is an Arts degree suitable or required for ?
Trades wages are about the 60 grand mark but Tradies have to go to Trade School/College for 4 years & for many Trades several ounces of intelligence mixed with common sense are a prerequisite !

u cannot be serious.

I changed a tap mixer in minutes, something a plumber would have charged myself $250 for.

trades cannot be that hard to learn.

My old boss saif they used to pump out fitter and turners with 3 months training during war.

i used to watch apprentice carpenters on building sites. they mostly did labouring and could have learned skills in a fraction of the time if it was not dragged out for years.

Please, keep debate real.

Hear, hear and well said, Pete, Chris!

All manner of airheads without a clue haven't the foggiest notion what they're banging on about. Just show their entrenched immovable basis?

I've left stuff out quite deliberately here, but posted it elsewhere with much larger audiences and like-minded thinkers, who acually understand economic and economic rationale. Moreover, the bible says, do not cast your pearls before swine!

And that's what I do every time I share my better ideas with the cellar dwellers and swillers just here to sound off?

And are intellectually handcuffed by their rusted on idiotic idealogy!
Alan B.

Please, keep debate real.
Chris Lewis,
So, why not follow your own advise ? Watching a carpenter doing simple tasks or doing something as simple as changing a tap washer & then claiming expertise for same is akin to some dill saying I once watched a Doctor putting a Bandaid on or a mechanic pumping up a tyre are trades anyone could learn in a day !