Professor Ashley Goldsworthy had some typically blunt advice for the Science Forum held recently at the National Press Club in Canberra. It was, he said, all very well to talk about these matters at meetings. But the big issue was how were the concerns about science in the universities to be put on the political agenda?
Goldsworthy (author of the report on Information Technology in Australia, Chief Executive of the Business/Higher Education Round Table, and former national President of the Liberal Party) offered five suggestions:
Dr Julie Wells from the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU), examined the preliminary recommendations of the West Review of Higher Education Funding and Policy, and said that West had no solutions to the problems of falling science enrolments, or declines in university funding for operating grants and infrastructure. She looked at the implications of those recommendations specifically for teaching and research in science and technology related areas, and suggested an alternative approach. HECS fees should be re-invested in the university system.
Professor Ian Lowe of Griffith University and President of the Australian Science Communicators reported on session one, "Crisis: Real or Imagined?", and presented his view of the solutions in four prongs:
Lowe said that scientists and technologists are slow to take up the pen to write to politicians. Barry Jones had apparently gone through one entire election period without receiving one constituency letter on science - and this while he was Minister.
The participation of these various groups in the Forum highlighted FASTS awareness of the need to build an alliance which spreads beyond the groups and individuals with a direct interest in the outcomes of science and technology policy. It was suggested by various speakers at the Forum that such a "Science Alliance" is necessary if science and technology are to be serious election issues in Australia. If commerce, mining and farming interests stand up in public and say a properly-funded science and technology sector is essential for national well-being, then it becomes harder for the will and the rhetoric of political parties to evaporate especially under the increased pressure of an election.
The FASTS Executive was unimpressed by the Budget. It did nothing to rectify the top ten issues raised by FASTS for 1998, except for the re-funding of the CRCs which had been announced prior to the Budget. The other nine issues were not addressed.
The outlook is still gloomy for the universities, and black for the ARC. NH&MRC funds were "boosted" (ie restored to what they were before the forward estimates in the Budget of last year).
Our statement on the Budget referred to the failure of a Government incentive for industrial R&D, the START scheme. This drew an immediate response from the Chair of the Scheme, Lealla Reed of Adelaide University. She was interested in our comments and also in FASTS' willingness to work to make an improved scheme.
The Senate inquiry into the status of the teaching profession has been released. It contains information on teacher training, status, salaries, supply and demand, morale and performance.