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Students and staff of the University of Newcastle have rallied in opposition to the Federal Government’s $2.3-billion cuts to tertiary education today.
Speakers addressed a rally at the Shortland building at midday.
The National Tertiary Education Union’s (NTEU) Newcastle Branch President Associate Professor Suzanne Ryan says the budget day protest was chosen to remind the public of the detrimental impacts budget cuts could have on higher education.
“The Newcastle action is part of an Australia wide protest which is taking place in universities in all capital cities and many regional centres. Both staff and students are opposed to these cuts and the impacts these cuts will undoubtedly have on both the quality of education and associated support services”, Associate Professor Ryan said.
The Associate Professor emphasised the widespread impacts of the cuts. “If universities decide to cut the number of academics, the staff-student ratios will increase, the quality of learning will fall, the research will be limited,” she said.
Police clashed with demonstrators at Sydney University, as they campaigned over funding cuts and job security.
The Newcastle University Students’ Association (NUSA) is joining the NTEU in calling for the government to restore the higher education cuts announced last month.
NUSA President Rose Gosper said Newcastle students were already feeling the strain of burgeoning student debt. “We condemn any cuts to higher education funding that further impact the student debt. With the implementation of uncapped student places, there is already strain on university resources and these further efficiency dividends will only exacerbate the problem,” Ms Gosper said.