HONOURS RECIPIENT SLAMS HIGHER EDUCATION FUNDING
HONOURS RECIPIENT SLAMS HIGHER EDUCATION FUNDING
January 25, 2007
Section: News
Dr Bridget Ogilvie.
DOCTOR Bridget Ogilivie, recipient of the 2007 Australia Day Awards highest honour has criticised the Australian government's handling of higher education funding, dismissing its treatment of the issue as 'ignorant'.
The London-based retired academic, who holds dual citizenship with the United Kingdom and Australia, is currently in Australia visiting relatives at Austinmer.
Awarded the Companion of the Order of Australia in this year's Australia Day Honours List for her work in the scientific field, she is one of just 25 to receive the prestigious award in 2007.
"It is very touching and extremely pleasing that after all these years friends here would nominate me for such a high honour - it is deeply appreciated," said Dr Ogilvie.
While based in London, Dr Ogilvie has spent several years in Australia during her years spent as a research scientist.
With family now based in Austinmer, the northern suburbs of Wollongong is her Australian base and where she will spend the next three months.
The Leader spoke to Dr Ogilvie on Friday about her win and the state of Australian higher education.
"In my day as a research scientist it was organised play for adults, the funds increased each year."
"Those days are gone. Science has become very expensive and people realised they can make money out of it and you have to show the taxpayer there's a benefit.
"Unfortunately that has now gone too far. The Australian and UK governments are slowly and systematically killing the goose that laid the golden egg by wanting more eggs for less feed.
"Here you have a government wallowing in money and doing zilch about infrastructure.
"Higher education is this country's fourth largest export earner - it is incredibly careless or them to be ignoring it, just dreadful."
Dr Ogilvie is one of just two Honours recipients from our northern suburbs.
