Federal Education Minister Jason Clare has highlighted the scale of reform needed to prepare Australia’s education system for the future workforce – and the vitally important role universities will play in achieving it – at the John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library (JCPML) Anniversary Lecture this week.
Commemorating 80 years since Prime Minister John Curtin’s passing, Minister Clare’s wide-ranging Looking Ever Forward speech reaffirmed the enduring power of education to drive social and economic change and the ongoing need to continue making higher education accessible to more people.
Minister Clare said this wasn’t just the right thing to do; it was necessary for Australia’s future, noting 80 per cent of jobs will require a TAFE qualification or a university degree by 2050, compared to 60 per cent today.
“That’s a big jump and we’re not going to hit that target easily. This must happen in our outer suburbs and regions and among families who haven’t traditionally seen university as an option,” Minister Claire said.
“It is critical to break down the invisible barrier that still makes many Australians feel like university is somewhere else for someone else. That means reforming the whole education system so its connected and based on need.”
Minister Clare said John Curtin’s guiding words – that a university “should find its heroes in the present, its hope in the future” – continue to serve as a compass for Australian education policy.
“Great universities are not just about the past, they are about the future,” Minister Clare said.
“They don’t just focus on today’s problems; they anticipate and solve the ones that lie ahead. They are not a place of privilege, but a place of opportunity for everyone.”
Curtin University Vice-Chancellor Professor Harlene Hayne said the Minister’s remarks captured the spirit of John Curtin’s enduring message – one that remains central to the University’s mission.
“At Curtin, we see the impact of education every day and how it changes the trajectory of lives, families and communities,” Professor Hayne said.
“Eighty years on from his passing, John Curtin’s message to ‘look ever forward’ remains vital as Australia plans for the workforce of tomorrow and it’s a challenge we gladly accept every day.
“I would like to thank Minister Clare for delivering this year’s JCPML Anniversary Lecture and for his thoughtful reflections on the legacy of John Curtin and the future of higher education. It was a tour-du-force of history, literature, and political inspiration”
Held annually, the John Curtin Anniversary Lecture commemorates the life of John Curtin, providing an opportunity for a thought leader of our time to reflect on the enduring legacy of John Curtin.
Previous presenters include former prime ministers Gough Whitlam, Paul Keating, Malcolm Fraser and Julia Gillard.
This year’s Lecture marked not only 80 years since John Curtin’s passing but also the 80th Anniversary of the end of World War II.
It was held on another momentous date – Remembrance Day – the anniversary of the Armistice that ended World War I on November 11, 1918. This date also commemorates the 50th anniversary of the 1975 Dismissal of the Whitlam Government, another defining moment in Australia’s political history.
A transcript of the speech is available here.
