The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • 4

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 26 1997 Unis are could be improved says report Photograph by MIKE BOWERS Labor bid to wrest Colston from steering wheel it is likely die matters win be decided by votes of the full Senate tomorrow The Government with die votes of Senator Colston himself and another Independent Senator Brian Hairadine would have the numbers to defeat die combined Opposition but faces tiie difficult prospect of being seen to defend a man under police investigation The tint of foe three positions foam which die Opposition wants' Senator Cobton removed is die Senate Regulations and Ordinances Committee of which he is die deputy chair The second position is on die board of die Australian National University Council Senator FauDmerfi letter refers only to tiie Opposition issues relating to his membership of the coundT The third is as a member of the Parliamentary Retiring Allowances Trust a sensitive position dealing with politicians' superannuation benefits The Opposition move fol gy MME SECCOMK inCanbena The Federal Opposition has foreshadowed moves to dump Senator Mai Colston from three appointed Senate committee position as part of a broader strategy to atrip the Deputy Resident of his balance-of-power role in the Upper House in the light of growing rorts claims The move came as the Minister for Administrative Services Mr Jull Mnnnwil that his department waa reviewing the referral of the matter to the Australian Federal Police" Labor's leader in the Senate Senator John Faulkner yesterday wrote to tiie President Senator Reid saying the of of fraud relating to perks of office had rendered him unsuitable to continue in die committee jobs Last night Senator Reid still was taking advice on how to handle the crisis which ultimately 'threatens tiie Government's legislative program but Independent i files establish the 1 and to provide me with a full Mr Jull said that very firm position is that any parliamentarian who is found to have breached their obligations will receive no aid comfort or satisfaction from this Mr Jull said that once he had received a report from the department will consider the most appropriate course of action including if necemaiy undergraduate courses and called for a nuyor overhaul It also called for greater co-operation and integration between sections of the TAFE system and universities have been few if any dear and agreed tests of teaching quality the experts said has not generally featured in appointment procedures has played a minor role in promotion exercises has had little recognition except by students in the institution or outside it and procedures have been put in place but there is much still to be done to address long standing criticism of the quality and relevance of what is taught and how it is taught It is not dear for example this! there are satisfactory means for ensuring comparable standards of student performance across the system as a whole there is evidence of student dissatisfaction with what and how they are The report said students were encouraged into narrowly-defined vocational courses rather than into courses that offered a more general or education covering topics such as the history of science philosophy and literature An increasing number of students were enrolling in study programs at the expense of more traditional aChdcmic subjects Senator Vanstone said last night that the report had given the higher education system a bill of ahfirmgh there were a number of areas piat required further attention inrfiiHing tMriiinj tanHgrty report recognises that there is an awareness of these problems and a determination to undertake she said Being gay is a big factor in youth suicide Young get the message on savings poll finds suicide if tiie highest cause of adolescent death here and tiie United States and growing It was therefore that a national conference on youth suicide which foe Prime Minister Mr Howard will open in Canberra on Friday had little focus on gay and lesbianyouth suiddeDrRema-fedi said yesterday hi a US study and follow-up survey of 10 per cent of Minnesota's entire teenage population which Dr Remafedi headed about Br MBRA J0PS0N About one in three gay American teenage boys attempts suicide and Australia probably has die same rate ifs just that nobody has asked according to a visiting associate professor of pediatrics from foe University of Minnesota Dr Gary Remafedi He has edited Death by Denial a book which mh why homosexual teenagers try to kffl themselves Dr Remafedi believes maltreatment of gay adolescents is a in many research- arid they had tried to kffl rives Yet tiny made up only 2 to per cent or tiie population Although Australian studies have only been small Dr Remafedi said yesterday he believed foe pattern here would be similar our countries have a common Dr Remafedi said maltreatment not sexual orientation itself was the key in a society where in schoolyards faggot is the ultimate belittling epithet" problems By JOCELYN EASTWAY Some relief for Australia's savings crisis may be in sight A new Herald-AGB McNair poll shows more young people are getting the message about foe importance of saving and investing A third of people in the 18 to 24 age group say they are investing more than a year ago Another 44 per cent are investing about the same amount However foe proportion of By UM Higher Education Writer Teaching standards in Australian universities need to be improved substantially and the curriculum updated and made move relevant to the needs of students according to an international report into die higher education system The report which was compiled by a team of experts from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD also found that many academics were bewildered by the rapid pace of diangr At the same time funding cuts over the past decade had resulted in overcrowded lecture theatres and this had led to reports of students and unhappy in particular those moving straight from school to university However after visiting Australia in mid-1995 as part of an international comparison of tertiary education in 12 countries the experts concluded that our universities appeared to have coped well in a period of "rapid and potentially disruptive change and They said enrolments in higher education had grown by more than 70 per cent since die mid-1980s but noted that funding per capita had failed to keep pace with tins growth in numbers In fact funding had declined gradually putting additional and pressure on academics and students While more students from poorer families were enrolling in university die report said disadvantaged groups remained underrepresented a problem in practically every The report which was released yesterday by the Minister for Education Senator Van-stone expressed concern about tMrfimg faiiHwH in lowed a revelation by Mr Jull that Federal police were investigating allegations of misuse of entitlements going back to 1982 by Senator Colston Mr Jull also is awaiting a report from his department on how Senator Colston who is issued with a self-drive government car as part of the perks of his office as Deputy President also has booked chauf-feured Commonwealth cars on mine than 220 occasions since August 20 people investing more than a year ago is much lower in the older age groups The poll also shows 35 per cent of the youngest age group would save or invest a $5000 lottery win rather than spend it People in the older age groups are more likely to spend a windfall on themselves or use the money to cut back a mortgage or other debts Money Section: What Austreflans are doing with their money ti S' i V'-Ur i- buy a A CAR FOR THOSE MADE IT BUT INCLINED TO SPEND IT ships being treated differently since childhood and feeling different against a background of issues about coming out and verbal and physical abuse from peers" be said Those most at risk of suicidal depression were gays who out" early who abused substances or who displayed behaviour considered effeminate The Wesley Mission will hold a commemoration ceremony for people affected by suicide at 10 JO am today at the Opera goes on Nww ESSOO a If you hold cost as an indication of worth you may find reading this a bit uncomfortable The all new Lexus ES300 LXS provides over 50 standard features (many of which are only optioned for our luxury car competitors) for a cost LXS: $69800 door locks a remote control anti-theft system cruise control heated external mirrors the quiet relaxing cabin safety features designed to exceed every foreseeable safety regulation our Encore program the industry leading customer significantly below the competitors service program the list You could cedi us So even the most frugal buyer can delight in the polished Californian Walnut somewhat naive but we really believe that when you interior finish leather seats and trim alloy wheels MacPherson strut suspension luxury car you shouldn't have to pay extra for any little extras an adl alloy Quad Cam V6 engine that takes you from 0-1 00 kmh in 86 seconds So if you've made It now is the time to sample this indulgent yet sensible approach glove box mounted 6 CD changer seven audio speakers remote power to car buying Simply call 1 800 800 395 and well put you behind the wheeL ALL NEW LEXUS 3 s- Jf ni '-v f'-fi 50OJ4 fl'Vg a i.