The Education Portfolio Budget Statement released numerous educational “targets”, some of which address the University Accord Report recommendations. The below table selects key targets and will act as a dynamic tracker as data becomes increasingly available. A surprisingly low amount of data was available for the Education portfolio compared to other portfolio budget statements.
Most targets have remained the same between 2023 and 2024. Some targets stipulate percentage increases or decreases, whereas others simply aim for a general upturn or downturn. These targets are insights into the policy objectives of the Federal Government, and the stakeholders about which it cares most.
A notable alteration pertains to employability targets for international students. The 2023 target aimed for 85% of graduand international students to be employed or enrolled in further study; in this Budget, the “enrolled in further study” element has been eradicated and the target has sunk to 70%. This aligns with the Government’s policy objectives to rein in international student numbers due to housing and accreditation crises.
Another intriguing development is the readily-achieved allocated Commonwealth Supported Places focused on STEM disciplines: since the 2023 target, 4,001 places in STEM courses across 16 education providers have been created. Notably, the wording of the achieved target reiterates that these STEM courses are “needed to support AUKUS initiatives”. Clearly, the Government’s defence priorities are in full swing.
| Performance Measure | 2023 Target | 2024 Target | On track? |
| Proportion of 25-34 year olds with a tertiary qualification (Certificate III or above) | Increase from previous year | Same as 2023 | On track |
| Attrition rate for domestic undergraduates | Lower than 15% | Same as 2023 | Data not yet available |
| Proportion of undergraduates who are employed within 4-6 months of degree completion | 85% or higher | Same as 2023 | Data not yet available |
| Proportion of domestic undergraduates who are from a low socio-economic background | 16% or higher | Same as 2023 | Data not yet available |
| Proportion of higher education students who are Indigenous | 2% or higher | Same as 2023 | Data not yet available |
| Proportion of domestic undergraduate students who rate the teaching quality at their institution positively | 80% or higher | Same as 2023 | Data not yet available |
| Proportion of research publications in the world’s top 10% most highly cited journalists that are Australian research publications | Above the OECD average | Same as 2023 | Data not yet available |
| Indigenous higher degree by research completions | Increase from previous year | Same as 2023 | Data not yet available |
| Proportion of international students employed/enrolled in further study after graduation | 85% or higher | 70% or higher Note: 2024 target removes “enrolled in further study” component | Data not yet available |
| Allocate additional Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) focused on STEM disciplines | Additional 4,000 CSPs from 2024 | N/A | Achieved 4,001 places in STEM courses “needed to support AUKUS initiatives” |
| Demonstrated improvements in sector awareness, identification, analysis and response to integrity risks (for TEQSA) | 90% of websites advertising or offering commercial academic cheating services blocked; at least 500 removals of social media accounts and posts per financial year | Same as 2023 | On track |
