Education minister Dan Tehan's recent announcement to change the course fee structure across Australian universities had been met with a range of views. Some believe it sets Australia up for the future, while others, including former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, called it "baffling", 

Other critics, too, have pointed to the irony of how important the coalition considered the soft skills of humanities to the future of jobs before making such a decision.

One of the most vocal and cogent critics of the proposed changes that need to be legislated is the Australian Academy of the Humanities. Campus Review spoke to the academy's president about the issue, ProfessorJoy Damousi.

In contrast to the government's line, Damousi said arts and humanities graduates are incredibly job ready and statistics support this . She also said humanities graduates possess "very transferable, very transportable skills".

Damousi also focussed on the need for students to follow their talents and passions, not enrol in courses purely based on financial reasons. She called this "an insidious choice". The academy's president was also concerned about how the new course fee structure would affect low socioeconomic students and how discounting subjects like history ran the risk of cultural amnesia and the rise of deeply troubling ideologies.

Education minister Dan Tehan's recent announcement to change the course fee structure across Australian universities had been met with a range of views. Some believe it sets Australia up for the future, while others, including former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, called it "baffling", Other critics, too, have pointed to the irony of how important the coalition considered the soft skills of humanities to the future of jobs before making such a decision. One of the most vocal and cogent critics of the proposed changes that need to be legislated is the Australian Academy of the Humanities. Campus Review spoke to the academy's president about the issue, ProfessorJoy Damousi. In contrast to the government's line, Damousi said arts and humanities graduates are incredibly job ready and statistics support this . She also said humanities graduates possess "very transferable, very transportable skills". Damousi also focussed on the need for students to follow their talents and passions, not enrol in courses purely based on financial reasons. She called this "an insidious choice". The academy's president was also concerned about how the new course fee structure would affect low socioeconomic students and how discounting subjects like history ran the risk of cultural amnesia and the rise of deeply troubling ideologies.

Campus Review

Education minister Dan Tehan's recent announcemen…

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