Fed: Govt to spend $4 million on Catholic medical university

AAP General News (Australia)
08-01-2004
Fed: Govt to spend $4 million on Catholic medical university

SYDNEY, Aug 1 AAP - The federal government will fund 200 private university places
and deliver a $4 million cash injection to the University of Notre Dame when it opens
its Sydney campuses over the next two years.

The West Australian-based Catholic university is opening a teaching, law and business
school at a church site in inner Sydney and a medical school attached to St Vincent's
hospital in Darlinghurst.

Prime Minister John Howard today said the medical school would have 60 nursing places
in 2006 and 60 medical places in 2007, funded by the government.

The government would also pay for 80 teaching places in 2006 and provide $4 million
to develop the campus.

Announcing the funding today, Mr Howard emphasised his government's commitment to private
education.

"We don't want a state or government or secular monopoly on education at any level
be it primary, secondary or tertiary," he said.

Sydney Archbishop George Pell said Australia could accommodate up to 20 Catholic universities
instead of the current two and said the federal government was helping to make this happen.

"There is plenty of room for growth in the Catholic tertiary education centre," he said.

"There is no doubt the the policy settings currently in place in higher education make
it significantly easier to open (Catholic) universities."

AAP jh/bes/jlw

KEYWORD: CAMPUS

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