EMBARGO: Not for publication or broadcast before 7 p. m.-SUNDAY
27th August, 1961. P. M. No. Y+/ 96
COMMITTEE ON THE FJTURE OF TERTIARY EDUCATION
Statement by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. R. G. Menzies
The Prime Minister announced today the composition of
the Committee which the Government has established to inquire
into the future of tertiary educetion. The Committee would be a
committee of the Australian Universities Commission and under the
chairmanship of the Chairman of the Commission, Sir Leslie Martin.
Professor C. R. McRae, formerly Deputy Vice-Chancellor and
Professor of Education in the University of Sydney, would act as
Deputy Chairman and Dr. C. M. Gilray, former Principal of Scotch
College, Melbourne and Deputy Chancellor of the University of
Melbourne, as an executive member. Other members who have
accepted invitations to serve on the Committee are
Sir Keith Angas, Grazier and recently Chairman of St. Mark's
College Council, University of Adelaide.
Professor A. H. Ennor, Deputy Chairman of the Institute of
Advanced Studies and Dean of the John Curtin School of
Medical Research in the Australian National University
Sir Alexander Fitzgerald, former Professor of Accountancy,
University of Melbourne and for many years Chairman of the
Commonwealth Grants Commission
Professor Sir Edward Ford, Professor of Preventive Medicine
and Director of the School of Public Health and Tropical
Medicine at the University of Sydney
Mr. N. E. Jones, Managing Director, Broken Hill Proprietary
Ltd., and Chairman of Finance Committee, University of
Mel bourne
Professor P. H. Karmel, Professor of Economics in the
University of Adelaide
Mr. R. R. Mackay, Principal, Royal Melbourne Institute of
Technology, Professor F. J. Schonell, Vice-Chancellor of the University
of Queensland and formerly Professor of Education in that
University Sir Samuel Wadiamr, former Professor of Agriculture in the
University of 11, N3bourne
Mr. L. tI. Weickhardt, Technical Director, Imperial Chemical
Industries
Dr. H. S. Wyndham, Director-General of Education in New
South Wales.
2.
In announcing the composition of the Committee the
Prime Minister recalled that the recommendations of the Murray
Committee and, more recently, those of the Australian
Universities Commission had been accepted by the Commonwealth and
State Governments with the result that vastly incru~ ased grants
ha~ ve beon made available for universities since 1958. However,
the rapidly increasing number of students who may wish to take
advantage of tertiary education and other factors, such as
student wastage, staff shortage and the pressure on universities
generally, make it imporative that we investigate the best way of
making the most efficient use of available and potential resources.
The Government has decided, therefore, to establish
this Committee to consider the pattern of tertiary education in
relation to the needs and resources of Australia and to make
recommendations to the Commission on the future development of
tertiary education. The Prime Minister said that the Committee would make
a wide-ranging investigation and it was hoped that it would be
able to complete its work and submit its rocommend~ ations before
the end of the 1961/ 63 triennium.
Committees of enquiry in this field have already been
created by the State Governments of New South Wales and Victoria
and close association between the National and State Committees
would be of the greatest value. In the United Kingdom a Committee
with similar responsibilities had been established under the
Chairmanship of Lord Robbins.
The Prime Minister cxpressed the hope that the
Committee would have the benefit of advice and co-operation from
the Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee, University staff, the
Commonwealth Office of Education, State Departments of Education
and other Commonwealth and State Departments and instrumentalites
CANBERR, 27th August, 1961.