There’s an inquiry by a House of Reps Committee into “issues and opportunities presented by generative Artificial Intelligence” for all education sectors. CMM was tempted but makes no predictable joke about AIs making submissions and being invited to give evidence. (Although the first pass that Bard knocked-up in nothing flat was an ok framework).

In Features this morning

Up the Crick with plenty of paddles. Merlin Crossley (UNSW) visits the Francis Crick Institute in London. He finds a model of research enterprise – one that Australia should learn from.

plus There’s talk of the Accord creating a unified tertiary system – New Zealand demonstrates it can be done, just not fast or easily. Roger Smyth explains HERE, HERE and HERE.

and Sean Brawley and colleagues on how Uni Wollongong is learning to live with risk. Another instalment in their series on how the university restructured to revitalise admin, HERE

with Sarah O’Shea (Curtin U) reminds us that the Accord should address a fundamental purpose of universities: creating better societies. New in Commissioning Editor Sally Kift’s celebrated series, Needed now in learning and teaching

as well as Karen Gravet, Rola Ajjawi and Sarah O’Shea on the different way students feel they belong, and why they matter. Also a new Sally selection,

Voced is hands-on which meant providers were hard hit by pandemic conditions. A major report for the estimable National Centre for Vocational Education Research sets out the impact and how institutions, staff and students responded*

Authors find that on top of the pandemic-specific changes (social distancing, remote delivery) Covid exacerbated problems already in-place, including, inflexible work placements, access, including digital barriers for learners, slow response to market needs and “difficulties in engaging young people.”

what worked: Governments got support right, particularly wage subsidies for apprentices and trainees. And the sector stepped up to digital delivery, subjects on-line increased 24 per cent in 2019-20.

and what it might mean: The report acknowledges the debate over whether the system innovated or just adapted to Covid, but the take-away ought to be, “the capacity of the VET sector to quickly tailor training to meet the needs of students and to adapt to local needs.”

“The collaborative problem-solving approaches described by training providers highlight the level of interconnectivity the VET system has at its disposal and flag a useful resource for the future.”

This should be in the policy response kit for the next disaster

* Daniella Trimboli, Melinda Lees, Zhihui Zhang, Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on VET, HERE.

Morning deans, think the scathing assessment of initial teacher education courses by Mark Scott and colleagues was as bad as things? Fraid not

“If you ask most teachers, they’ll tell you that when they first became a teacher, they didn’t feel prepared for the classroom. That the prac they got when they were at uni wasn’t up to scratch,” Education Minister Jason Clare told Patricia Karvelas on RN yesterday.

“That what they learnt at university didn’t give them all the skills they needed to teach students to read or to write or to manage a difficult and disruptive classroom,” he added.

Mr Clare has made such points about ITE before (for example, CMM March 30) but he is clearly keen to keep making them.

Mark Scott (Uni Sydney)  and colleagues ideas for initial teacher education (CMM March 23 2023) are on the agenda for July’s meeting of ministers.

They include public performance measures of ITE courses, “to increase accountability and inform student choice,” (CMM March 23 2023)

Uni Newcastle VC Alex Zelinsky has asked the Fair Work Commission to assist management and unions strike an enterprise bargain (C MM yesterday)

This is what happened with the last agreement, when  the FWC got management and the National Tertiary Education Union over the line in a afternoon (CMM October 31 2018).

And that’s just for starters. Party leader Cassy O’Connor goes on to call on the university to “reflect” on popular opposition to its move to the Hobart CBD

In a speech in parliament Ms O’Connor called on the university to “press pause”  given “deep resistance to the move” among staff, students and the Hobart community.

Plus, “there is a concern about diminishing quality of learning at UTAS. It would be wonderful if they just press pause and had a deeper conversation with those affected communities,” she said.

“Given this is a public institution, much loved by Tasmanians, needed by Tasmanians, … they have a responsibility to apply a deft and responsive touch here to this issue, because it has caused concern in the community,” Ms O’Connor added.

The point that U Tas is governed by a state act comes up in a Legislative Council inquiry now underway. Although the university might suggest that moving to the CBD is covered by its legislation.

The dispute over the CBD-move has run for years and became an umbrella grievance covering other issues – from course redesign to staff conditions. Until now it appeared that the university would politely wait-out public opposition, on the assumption that ultimately the government would not make trouble for the city move.

Of course that was before Premier Jeremy Rockliff lost his majority in the House – two Lib MPs went to the crossbench over plans for the new AFL stadium.

People get worked up over property development in Hobart.