13 September 2024
The Greens have slammed a move by the new Adelaide University to ditch face-to-face lectures and say students will pay the price.
“I’m aghast by this news. Students are already paying a fortune to go to uni, yet this shift to online learning means they will miss out on much of the student experience. This sounds like a dud deal for students,” said Greens Education Spokesperson, Robert Simms MLC.
“How does the new university plan to attract international students to Adelaide, if they are just going to be confined to the zoom-room?”
“So much of the experience of studying overseas is about meeting new people and sharing ideas and perspectives face-to-face.”
“While I recognise online learning is of value to some students in certain circumstances, students shouldn’t be deprived of face-to-face lectures altogether.”
“Scrapping lectures puts jobs at risk, and I can only assume this is some sort of cost-cutting exercise. Sadly, it’s part of a broader shift from universities being places of learning to degree factories.”
“It’s this kind of corporatisation that I fear will be accelerated by Labor’s new super university.”