Andrew Norton
@andrewjnorton.bsky.social
Australian higher education policy
andrewnorton.id.au
andrewnorton.id.au
Updated data for *Mapping Australian higher education* including enrolments, finances and graduate outcomes. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/12/16/m...
Mapping Australian higher education – December 2025 data update
To prolong the life of Mapping Australian higher education 2023 I have been updating a spreadsheet which contains the data behind the charts and tables. The December 2025 Mapping data update is her…
andrewnorton.id.au
December 16, 2025 at 6:02 AM
Updated data for *Mapping Australian higher education* including enrolments, finances and graduate outcomes. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/12/16/m...
Under the ATEC legislation, academics would be removed from the advisory panel on higher education standards, and replaced by the ATEC Commissioners.
andrewnorton.id.au/2025/12/08/t...
andrewnorton.id.au/2025/12/08/t...
The Australian Tertiary Education Commission legislation, Part 5, ATEC, TEQSA and the Threshold Standards
Under the legislation to establish the Australian Tertiary Education Commission, introduced into Parliament late last month, ATEC would advise the minister on the Higher Education Threshold Standar…
andrewnorton.id.au
December 8, 2025 at 2:37 AM
Under the ATEC legislation, academics would be removed from the advisory panel on higher education standards, and replaced by the ATEC Commissioners.
andrewnorton.id.au/2025/12/08/t...
andrewnorton.id.au/2025/12/08/t...
The Australian Tertiary Education Commission's staff will be Department of Education employees.
andrewnorton.id.au/2025/12/04/t...
andrewnorton.id.au/2025/12/04/t...
The Australian Tertiary Education Commission legislation, Part 4, ATEC’s independence from the government
The Universities Accord Final Report recommended that ATEC be an ‘independent statutory authority … to enable it to provide robust advice and support evidence-based decision making and …
andrewnorton.id.au
December 4, 2025 at 12:44 AM
The Australian Tertiary Education Commission's staff will be Department of Education employees.
andrewnorton.id.au/2025/12/04/t...
andrewnorton.id.au/2025/12/04/t...
The ATEC legislation makes it look like student contribution reform is off the political agenda. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/12/01/t...
The Australian Tertiary Education Commission legislation – Part 3, Per student funding and student contributions
Since it came to office, Labor has deferred dealing with Job-ready Graduates student contributions. First it added student contributions to the Universities Accord list of issues. In February 2024 …
andrewnorton.id.au
December 1, 2025 at 9:20 PM
The ATEC legislation makes it look like student contribution reform is off the political agenda. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/12/01/t...
Legislation for a new Australian Tertiary Education Commission has been introduced. This post describes its objectives. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/11/26/t...
The Australian Tertiary Education Commission legislation – Part 1, Objectives
Today the government introduced legislation to establish the Australian Tertiary Education Commission, which currently operates in an interim capacity without any direct legal power. This bill is m…
andrewnorton.id.au
November 26, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Legislation for a new Australian Tertiary Education Commission has been introduced. This post describes its objectives. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/11/26/t...
IThe Australian government is moving close to a de facto ban on new higher education providers. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/11/03/i...
Is the government introducing a de facto ban on new higher education providers?
Last week Claire Field published an interesting overview of 15 new higher education providers since January 2024. But growth of this kind would become very difficult if the government’s ESOS …
andrewnorton.id.au
November 3, 2025 at 12:55 AM
IThe Australian government is moving close to a de facto ban on new higher education providers. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/11/03/i...
A survey article I wrote on increased regulation in higher education. Based on a conference presentation in July. Sadly I could add to it significantly with developments since...
open-publishing.org/journals/ind...
open-publishing.org/journals/ind...
October 30, 2025 at 9:18 PM
A survey article I wrote on increased regulation in higher education. Based on a conference presentation in July. Sadly I could add to it significantly with developments since...
open-publishing.org/journals/ind...
open-publishing.org/journals/ind...
A shorter version of my post on proposed mass cancellations of courses for international students.
thekoalanews.com/the-educatio...
thekoalanews.com/the-educatio...
The education minister should not have the power to cancel ‘classes of courses’ for international students
Amendments to the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) legislation are being debated in Parliament this week. These amendments include
thekoalanews.com
October 29, 2025 at 1:25 AM
A shorter version of my post on proposed mass cancellations of courses for international students.
thekoalanews.com/the-educatio...
thekoalanews.com/the-educatio...
The education minister wants the power to cancel 'classes of courses' for international students. This blog post of mine argues that the Parliament should not give him that power. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/10/28/t...
The education minister should not have the power to cancel ‘classes of courses’ for international students
The government is having another go at its 2024 Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) legislation, reintroducing it earlier this month minus the enrolment caps that saw it blocked in the …
andrewnorton.id.au
October 28, 2025 at 5:33 AM
The education minister wants the power to cancel 'classes of courses' for international students. This blog post of mine argues that the Parliament should not give him that power. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/10/28/t...
Legislation for demand driven funding for Indigenous medical students introduced today. But it probably isn't a good idea. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/10/09/d...
October 9, 2025 at 3:15 AM
Legislation for demand driven funding for Indigenous medical students introduced today. But it probably isn't a good idea. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/10/09/d...
With its policy on so-called over-enrolments the government risks reducing higher education opportunities in 2026. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/09/25/t...
The last university over-enrolment crackdown – some possible lessons
As announced last year, the government plans to crack down on so-called ‘over-enrolments’ – enrolling additional students on a student-contribution only basis once all a universit…
andrewnorton.id.au
September 25, 2025 at 5:44 AM
With its policy on so-called over-enrolments the government risks reducing higher education opportunities in 2026. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/09/25/t...
Graduate employment outcomes worsened in 2024 comapred to 2023. But ABS data suggests a partial recovery in 2025. My analysis of this week's graduate jobs data. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/09/19/2...
2024 graduate employment outcomes and early 2025 trends
The 2024 Graduate Outcomes Survey finally came out this week. As recently as 2021 the GOS came out in the year it covered, not September the following year. The government’s inability/refusal…
andrewnorton.id.au
September 19, 2025 at 7:31 AM
Graduate employment outcomes worsened in 2024 comapred to 2023. But ABS data suggests a partial recovery in 2025. My analysis of this week's graduate jobs data. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/09/19/2...
Voluntary HELP repayments are unlikely to reach recent peaks again. My explainer. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/09/16/t...
The future of voluntary HELP repayments
In recent years voluntary HELP repayments increased significantly, peaking at $2.9 billion in 2022-23, before dropping back to $992 million in 2024-25 (according to data released last week). This p…
andrewnorton.id.au
September 16, 2025 at 2:27 AM
Voluntary HELP repayments are unlikely to reach recent peaks again. My explainer. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/09/16/t...
Mature age demand for undergraduate education is well down. My new blog post looks at why. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/08/29/w...
Why is demand for mature-age undergraduate education shrinking?
I have an article in The Conversation this morning on why demand for undergraduate higher education has been weak in recent years. I looked at school leavers in this July 2025 post. This post expan…
andrewnorton.id.au
August 29, 2025 at 4:01 AM
Mature age demand for undergraduate education is well down. My new blog post looks at why. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/08/29/w...
Demographics and a strong labour market have held uni enrolments down. My latest for The Conversation. theconversation.com/australian-u...
Australian uni enrolments have declined. But is Job-ready Graduates to blame?
Something major has happened to student demand in recent years. But how much of this is due to the fees students are paying?
theconversation.com
August 29, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Demographics and a strong labour market have held uni enrolments down. My latest for The Conversation. theconversation.com/australian-u...
Over 2020-2022 the government paid $550 million for student places that were never delivered. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/08/25/u...
University under-enrolment in the COVID and after years
Recently the Department of Education published 2021-2022 data on payments under the Higher Education Continuity Guarantee, a 2021-23 Coalition program to compensate universities for under-enrolment…
andrewnorton.id.au
August 25, 2025 at 6:39 AM
Over 2020-2022 the government paid $550 million for student places that were never delivered. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/08/25/u...
Funding for Commonwealth supported university students increases in most years - but less quickly than increases in costs. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/08/22/h...
Has funding for Commonwealth supported students been cut?
With universities back job shedding, academics and their unions are looking for someone to blame. University leaders and consultants are being attacked for poor decisions. The government also gets …
andrewnorton.id.au
August 22, 2025 at 6:21 AM
Funding for Commonwealth supported university students increases in most years - but less quickly than increases in costs. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/08/22/h...
Gender-based violence legislation - reporting requirements and penalties. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/08/18/g...
Gender-based violence legislation, Part 3: Reporting and penalties for higher education providers
The first post in this series outlined the meaning of gender-based violence and processes that apply to all higher education staff and students. The second post looked at processes when a complaint…
andrewnorton.id.au
August 18, 2025 at 5:09 AM
Gender-based violence legislation - reporting requirements and penalties. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/08/18/g...
Processes for disclosers of gender-based violence and accused respondents under the proposed new uni legal code. As drafted, it has omissions and deficiencies. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/08/15/g...
Gender-based violence legislation: Part 2, Processes for victims and perpetrators
My first post on the higher education gender-based violence bill and its draft code looked at how gender-based violence is defined and the broad obligations placed on higher education providers and…
andrewnorton.id.au
August 17, 2025 at 12:18 AM
Processes for disclosers of gender-based violence and accused respondents under the proposed new uni legal code. As drafted, it has omissions and deficiencies. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/08/15/g...
Complex new laws will require unis to be more proactive against 'gender-based violence'. The first part of my explainer. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/08/14/g...
Gender-based violence legislation: Part 1, Definitions and requirements for all higher education providers, staff and students
Legislation on ‘gender-based violence’ in higher education is back in Parliament. Its principal purpose is to provide a legal foundation for a National Higher Education Code to Prevent …
andrewnorton.id.au
August 14, 2025 at 5:27 AM
Complex new laws will require unis to be more proactive against 'gender-based violence'. The first part of my explainer. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/08/14/g...
What Australian graduates see as important in a job. Australia compared to eight other countries. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/08/11/u...
University funding systems and what graduates see as important in a job
For a side-project I’ve recently engaged with the subject of whether higher education funding systems shape the educational and career choices of students and graduates. On one theory, where …
andrewnorton.id.au
August 11, 2025 at 4:16 AM
What Australian graduates see as important in a job. Australia compared to eight other countries. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/08/11/u...
For female graduates full-time work rates peak in their late 20s, but longitudinal data shows significant movements in and out of part-time work.
Most female part-time workers earn less than the new $67K HELP repayment threshold - a risk of compounding indexation. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/08/06/g...
Most female part-time workers earn less than the new $67K HELP repayment threshold - a risk of compounding indexation. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/08/06/g...
Graduate income fluctuations and HELP repayment
Last week I raised concerns about the new HELP repayment system increasing the number of HELP debtors who face very long repayment times or lifetimes of student debt. The calculations in that post …
andrewnorton.id.au
August 6, 2025 at 3:47 AM
For female graduates full-time work rates peak in their late 20s, but longitudinal data shows significant movements in and out of part-time work.
Most female part-time workers earn less than the new $67K HELP repayment threshold - a risk of compounding indexation. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/08/06/g...
Most female part-time workers earn less than the new $67K HELP repayment threshold - a risk of compounding indexation. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/08/06/g...
After two years of policy measures to bring down international student numbers a modest relaxation of policy for 2026. My Conversation explainer. theconversation.com/australias-s...
Australia’s student caps will ease up in 2026, but times will still be tough for international education
After two years of trying to reduce international student numbers, the Albanese government will soften its approach in 2026.
theconversation.com
August 5, 2025 at 3:51 AM
After two years of policy measures to bring down international student numbers a modest relaxation of policy for 2026. My Conversation explainer. theconversation.com/australias-s...
Under the new HELP repayment system grads earning >$67K will pay the ATO at least 47 cents in the dollar. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/07/31/w...
Will the new HELP repayment system make high EMTR problems better or worse?
The new HELP repayment system being legislated this week will move from repaying a % of total income to a % of income above the repayment threshold, a marginal system. In introducing the bill to Pa…
andrewnorton.id.au
July 31, 2025 at 1:44 AM
Under the new HELP repayment system grads earning >$67K will pay the ATO at least 47 cents in the dollar. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/07/31/w...
The government's proposed HELP repayment system puts more female debtors at risk of a lifetime of debt. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/07/29/t...
The new HELP repayment system and lifetimes of student debt
The prime minister says that a degree should not come with a lifetime of debt. For that goal, the government’s HELP legislation introduced last week is contradictory. It will cut all debt owe…
andrewnorton.id.au
July 29, 2025 at 5:54 AM
The government's proposed HELP repayment system puts more female debtors at risk of a lifetime of debt. andrewnorton.id.au/2025/07/29/t...