A tale of three countries, 1850-1993: higher education in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States
Not offered in 1997
Dr A I Taylor
12 points
* Second semester
* Gippsland (distance mode only)
*
May be taken by students enrolled on the Clayton campus
Objectives Upon successful completion of this subject, students should understand the major developments which have taken place in Australian higher education since 1850; the manner in which diverse institutions such as universities, teachers' colleges, mechanics institutes and technical colleges were established; the extent to which Australians drew upon or departed from British and American models in the construction of their higher education system in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries; the significance of debates such as those over the curriculum to be offered in higher education institutions and the admission of women to universities; the influence of class, gender and political pressures on these institutions, and the radical restructuring of higher education after the Second World War and again through the Dawkins' reforms of the 1980s. Students should have developed the skills to analyse and interpret historical documents and in particular to place them in the context of the different cultures of the countries being studied in this subject; understand better the major changes being made in the last fifteen years by seeing them in historical context; and appreciate the manner in which Australian higher education has adapted to changes in Australian society while keeping a wary eye on what has happened in the United Kingdom and the United States. By the end of this subject students should have come to value independence in the analysis of higher education, have a sense of the power which historical precedents can exert and be aware of the effect on educational institutions of the values and ideology of powerful political, social and economic groups in society.
Synopsis This subject will study the development of Australian higher education from 1850 to 1993. It will consider the history of institutions such as universities, mechanics institutes, teachers' colleges, schools of mines, technical colleges and institutes of technology throughout the period. The curriculum offered by these institutions, the staff and students who attended them, their changing relationships to government and industry, the manner in which they were financed and administered, and their effect on secondary schools and on the intellectual life of the nation will be central considerations. The subject will use a comparative approach, studying the British and (later) American sources upon which Australians drew for their higher education institutions, and analysing the manner in which these models were eventually adapted, rejected or simply ignored.
Assessment Introductory essay (500 words): 10%
* Two book reviews
(750 words each): 15%
* Essay (4000 words): 75%
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