Dual enrollment

• One of Education Minister Jason Clare’s top priorities for the Universities Accord is encouraging more Australians to go to university.
• As he notes, “more jobs are going to require a university qualification in the years ahead”.

What are enabling programs?

• Enabling programs are run by universities and taught by academics and are also known as “foundation” or “bridging” programs.
• It also says university funding for these years should be “directed towards a range of assistance, such as increased support for students in enabling courses”.

What do they teach?

• Courses cover a wide range topics, from generalised study skills to preparation for a specific degree.
• Enabling programs can teach academic writing, library research, foundational mathematics, study skills and discipline-specific knowledge.

Who are they for?

• When applying to university, students can preference enabling programs as a viable “plan B” if they don’t receive an undergraduate offer.
• Enrolments in enabling programs have grown from 6,490 students in 2001 to 32,579 in 2020.
• For example, 32% of students in enabling programs are from low socioeconomic backgrounds, which is double the proportion of undergraduate students.

How can you access one?

Universities have enabling programs on their websites and in their program guides for future students. They are supported by federal funding so they can be offered free to students. Depending on the program, you can apply directly to the university or through state-based tertiary admissions centres, at the time when you nominate your university preferences.

Why are they so important?

Australian studies show students who complete enabling programs do just as well in undergraduate study as students who enter via traditional pathways, such as directly from high school. Enabling programs are effective because they are designed to meet the needs of students who want a university qualification but have experienced educational disadvantage. They focus not only on academic skills but also on building confidence to study.

How can we improve them?

• This means fee-free places need to be demand-driven, with flexible funding to match fluctuations in student enrolments and allowing universities to increase enabling places as demand grows.
• In addition to existing payments such as Austudy and ABSTUDY, there should be further financial support for disadvantaged students doing these courses.
• We would also like to see enabling qualifications included in the Australian Qualifications Framework, which regulates education and training qualifications.

• Long-standing debates about the purpose and focus of a school science curriculum have resurfaced this week as New Zealand is refreshing its approach to science education.
• Some responses to an early draft of a proposed science curriculum warned it would “minimalise science”.
• But an updated curriculum for today’s world presents an opportunity to engage all students in science through contexts that matter.

Curriculum change is necessary

• This approach has ill prepared students to engage competently or critically with science, and has failed to expand participation in science careers or degree programmes.
• Enrolments in traditional science programmes at New Zealand universities are declining.
• A 2022 background report to the New Zealand curriculum refresh reinforced this perspective.

What needs to change

• But as a recent report issued by the Education Review Office revealed, New Zealand is far from achieving this goal.
• A recent poll showed New Zealanders don’t understand how to act on climate change.
• Scientists are increasingly working alongside Māori and other Indigenous leaders, drawing from multiple knowledge systems to collaborate on complex science-related problems.

Teaching science in context

• Such an approach supports learning in multilingual science classrooms, which is particularly important given the growing diversity in New Zealand schools.
• A science curriculum focused on contemporary issues will not only help prepare all students to engage more competently with science, it can also inspire more students to consider science-related career paths they might not have otherwise.
• Read more:
  Future teachers often think memorization is the best way to teach math and science – until they learn a different way

  Teachers are currently not well prepared to teach science in the context of the critical issues of our time, such as climate change.

• The latest Strategy Analytics Powertrain, Body, Safety & Chassis (PBCS) and Electric Vehicles Service (EVS) report, China's Dual Credit Policy - Winners and Losers in 2021 analyzes the 2021 dual credit results at the national and OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) level, finding that only 54 OEMs reached dual credit compliance.
• View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220823005863/en/
  2021 Dual Credit Result by OEM (Graphic: Business Wire)
  The Dual Credit policy considers Corporate Average Fuel Consumption (CAFC) and NEV (New Energy Vehicle) credits and requires all OEMs in China to achieve positive results for both.
• Strategy Analytics analysis of the MIIT dual credit results showed a national surplus of 10.3 million CAFC credits and 6 million NEV credits in 2021.
• The international players need to accelerate the implementation of their electrification strategies in China to meet stricter dual credit compliance requirements.

• The latest Strategy Analytics Powertrain, Body, Safety & Chassis Service ( PBCS ) service report, China's Dual Credit Policy - Winners and Losers in 2020 analyzes the 2020 dual credit results at the national and OEM level, finding that only 44 OEMs reached dual credit compliance.
• View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220216005329/en/
  2020 Dual Credit Result by OEM; Source: MIIT
  The Dual Credit policy considers Corporate Average Fuel Consumption (CAFC) and NEV (New Energy Vehicle) credits and requires all OEMs in China to achieve positive results for both.
• In 2020, Strategy Analytics analysis of the MIIT dual credit results showed a national CAFC deficit in 2020 of 7.45 million credits, offset by a surplus of 3.27 million NEV credits.
• The winners in 2020 were OEMs with an exclusive focus on BEVs led by Tesla and BYD, observed Asif Anwar PBCS Service Director.