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The following Open Letter was sent by the Australian Historical Association to the Prime Minister of Australia. History Guild strongly agrees with it’s sentiments. If you would like to support this campaign you can sign a petition here.
We write as individuals with a range of political beliefs whose contributions to Australian life owe significantly to our Bachelor of Arts (BA) degrees. We are deeply concerned that
younger Australians today have fewer opportunities than we had to undertake studies in the humanities and social sciences (the core disciplines of a BA). One reason for this contraction
of opportunity is the Job-ready Graduates (JRG) Package that the Morrison government introduced in 2021. The Labor caucus at the time criticised the JRG bill for being
“inequitable, “pernicious,” and “perverse.” The inequity of JRG is even more stark when we realise that the humanities and social sciences have traditionally been popular choices
for Indigenous, regional, and female students.
A Flawed Policy with Damaging Impact
During the debate over the JRG bill, Labor Senators correctly noted that the peculiar targeting of the humanities and social sciences on the grounds of their graduates not being
job-ready was also “wrong”. They noted that these disciplines “offer students robust generalist educations, with strong employment prospects upon completion … [T]he
evidence is that, three years after completion, [arts] graduates are employed at the same rate as science or maths graduates.”
Subsequent research, in Australia and elsewhere, confirms this remains the case. The 2024 Australian Universities Accord Final Report declared that the JRG package had “failed.” It
highlighted that many more students now face crushing debts, with fees for most BAs approaching $50,000, and, at the same time, that arts disciplines “critical for future jobs and
innovation” are being reduced.
We are profoundly disappointed that the Albanese government has still not acted on its 2021 convictions and repealed JRG. The delay has had cascading and damaging consequences.
While overall enrolments suggest continued student interest in the humanities and social sciences, the data is skewed by Group of Eight Universities. Enrolments for many humanities
and social science units at other universities—those often favoured by Indigenous, regional and female students—are falling. These universities have, as a result, cut their offerings,
made staff redundant, and reduced student choice further. Even Group of Eight universities with stable numbers have interpreted the government’s messaging as a cue to reduce their
investment in humanities and social sciences programs.
The Need for Change and the Value of the Humanities and Social Sciences
The need to replace JRG with a fairer and more effective policy could not be more urgent. In an era of severe international turmoil, climate crisis, rising disinformation, and declining
trust in democratic principles, a higher education in subjects that stress global knowledges, reasoned debate, and civic literacy is paramount. Graduates of the humanities and social
sciences are well placed to address the meaning and source of many of the hatreds and prejudices driving the world today. Their core skill is in critical and analytical thinking. And
through their comparative, historical, or philosophical studies, they understand the singular fragility of democracy.
As our nation faces uncertain geopolitical trends, we must also ask ourselves: if younger Australians do not undertake the study of our region, our contexts, our antiquity, our
heritage, and our values, who, precisely, will?
The emphasis of the humanities and social sciences on deep understanding and adaptable proficiencies over narrow training always has been, and always will be, their greatest
strength. The diverse careers of the undersigned show that studying arts prepares graduates for a remarkable range of professions. Many members of parliament, indeed, hold a BA
degree, including Dan Tehan, who introduced the JRG policy, and the current Minister of Education, Jason Clare.
Our Call to Action
We urge you to abolish JRG and to institute a new fee regime which does not punish students who choose to study the humanities and social sciences. Our university sector should instead
reflect the values of a society that takes a humane and ethical responsibility for its past and future.
24 July 2025
Signatories:
The Executive Committee of the Australian Historical Association
Louise Adler AM, BA (Hons), MA, MPhil, Publisher and editor, former CEO of
Melbourne University Publishing, Director, Adelaide Writers Week
Stephanie Alexander AO, BA, Dip Ed., professional cook, author and founder of the
Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation
Dennis Altman AM, FASSA, BA, Doctor of Letters (honoris causa), Author and Patron of
the Australian Queer Archives and Pride Foundation Australia
Esther Anatolitis, BA (Hons), Zertifikat BauhausDessau, Editor, Meanjin; Governing
Council Member, National Gallery of Australia; Chair, Australian Republic
Movement
Georgina Arnott, BA, MA, PhD, Editor of the Australian Book Review
Michelle Arrow, FASSA FRHistS, BA (Hons), PhD, President of the Australian Historical
Association
Monica Attard, BA, former ABC foreign correspondent, co-director of the UTS Centre
for Media Transitions
Ben Ball, BA, LLB, MPhil, publishing director at Simon & Schuster Australia
Catherine Baron, BA, GradDip, School Principal and President of the History Teachers’
Association Australia; winner of the 2021 Dept. of Education Woman of
Achievement Award
Amanda Bell AM, BA, Phd, Dip.Ed, FAICD, Non-executive Director, Visual Arts and
Education; former School Principal
Frank Bongiorno AM, FRHistS FASSA FAHA, BA (Hons), PhD, President of the Council
for the Humanities Arts and Social Sciences.
Bernadette Brennan, BA (Hons), PhD, Prize-winning biographer, academic and critic
Judith Brett AM, BA (Hons), PhD, Prize-winning author of political biography and history
Geraldine Brooks AO, BA (Hons), MS, Pulitzer-prize winning author and journalist,
Fellow, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies Harvard
Anna Brown, OAM, BA (Hons), LLB (Hons), founding CEO of Equality Australia and
former Co-Chair of the YES campaign for marriage equality
John Byron, FQA, BA (Hons), PhD, veteran policy adviser (higher education, science, and
research) and novelist
The Hon. Kim Carr, FAHA, FTSE, BA, MA, former Minister for Higher Education,
Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, and former Senator for Victoria
Dame Jane Campion, BA, Academy-Award winning film director
Susan Carland, BA (Hons), BSc, PhD, sociologist, author, and television presenter
Jane Caro AM, BA, novelist, Walkley award winning columnist, social commentator and
public education advocate.
Marie Coleman AO, PSM, BA, DUniv (honoris causa), social policy analyst and public
servant, feminist activist
Rodney Croome AM, BA, HonDLitt, LGBTQIA+ human rights, 2015 Tasmanian of the
Year
Jonathan Dallimore, BA, DipEd, MA, Executive Officer, History Teachers’ Association
Joy Damousi AM, FASSA, FAHA, BA (Hons), PhD, former President, Australian
Academy of the Humanities; former President of the Australian Historical
Association
Kate Darian-Smith, FASSA, BA (Hons), DipEd, PhD, current President of the Academy
of the Social Sciences in Australia
Megan Davis AC, FAHA, FASSA, FAAL, BA, LLB, PhD, Co-Chair of the Uluru
Dialogue, former Chair of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous
Issues, Sydney Peace Prize Laureate, Commissioner of the NRL, and current Chair
of Australian Studies at Harvard University
Graeme Davison AO, FASSA FAHA FRHSV, BA (Hons), PhD, DLitt Honoris Causa,
Former President of the Australian Historical Association
Sara Dowse, BA, writer, artist, inaugural head of the Office of Women’s Affairs,
Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet
John Doyle AM, BA, Dip.Teach, Doctor of Letters (honoris causa), Performer, Screen
Writer, Author; Patron and Life Governor of Autism Spectrum Australia
The Hon. Gareth Evans AC, KC, FASSA, FIIA, BA, LLB(Hons), MA, Hon LL.D;
former Cabinet Minister, President of the International Crisis Group and
several UN committees
Kirstin Ferguson AM, BA (Hons), BLL (Hons), PhD, Author, researcher, and
former Acting Chair and Deputy Chair of the Australian Broadcasting
Commission
Charles Firth, BA (Hons), co-founder of The Chaser
Tim Flannery, FAA, BA, MSc, PhD, scientist and science communicator, Australian
of the Year 2007.
Morag Fraser AM, BA (Hons), MA, DipEd, former editor of Eureka Street; chair of
Australian Book Review
Raimond Gaita, FAHA, BA, MA, PhD, Doctor Honoris Causa (Antwerp),
philosopher and public intellectual
Bill Gammage AM, FASSA BA (Hons) PhD, Freeman of Narrandera
Shire, winner of the PM’s Award for Australian history
Helen Garner, BA (Hons), Writer
The Hon. Peter Garrett AM, BA, LLB, Doctor of Laws (honoris causa), musician, former
federal minister for Environment, School Education
Stephen Garton AM, FAHA, FASSA, FRAHS, FRSN, BA, PhD, current President of the
Australian Academy of Humanities
Richard Glover, BA (Hons), broadcaster and writer
Kate Grenville AO, BA (Hons), MA, DCA, prize-winning novelist and author
Tom Griffiths AO, FAHA, BA (Hons), MA, PhD, Chair of the Editorial Board, Australian
Dictionary of Biography
Ghassan Hage, FAHA, FASSA, FAcSS, BA(Hons), Diplôme de 3ème Cycle, PhD,
anthropologist, author and public intellectual
Virginia Haussegger AM, BA, journalist, writer, Deputy Chair Public Interest Journalism
Initiative, Walkley’s judge, Stella Prize Ambassador
Anita Heiss AM, BA (Hons), PhD, D.Litt, author and Publisher at Large for Bundyi
Publishing (Simon & Schuster)
Nathan Hollier, BA, PhD, Manager of ANU Press and Chair of the Small Press Network
Chloe Hooper, BA, MFA, prize-winning author
The Hon. Barry Jones AC, FAA, FAHA, FSTE, FASSA, FRSA, Dist, FRSN, FRSV, MA,
DLitt, LLD; former Cabinet Minister, former Representative to UNESCO and to
World Heritage Committee
The Hon. Cheryl Kernot, BA Dip Ed., former Senator & MP; former Leader of the
Australian Democrats
Marilyn Lake AO, FASSA, FAHA, FBA, BA (Hons), MA, PhD, DLitt Honoris Causa,
feminist author and policy advocate; former president of the Australian Historical
Association
Nam Le, BA (Hons), LLB (Hons), MFA, poet
Foong Ling Kong, BA (Hons), CEO and Publisher of Melbourne University Publishing
Iain McCalman AO, FRHistS FASSA FAHA, BA (Hons), MA, PhD, former president of
the Australian Academy of the Humanities
Hugh Mackay AO, BA, MA, Hon DLitt, FAPS, Social psychologist, researcher and
author
Peter McPhee AM FASSA, BA, PhD, Chair, History Council of Victoria; Patron,
History Teachers’ Association of Victoria
Shireen Morris, BA, LLM, PhD, Associate Professor of constitutional law, author
The Hon. Barry O’Farrell AO, formerly Premier of New South Wales and
Australian High Commissioner to India; Chair of Wests Tigers RLFC
Brigitta Olubas, FAHA, BA(Hons), MA(Hons), PhD, prize-winning biographer
Philip Pettit AC, FSSA, FAHA, FAAAS, FBA, MRIA, BA, LPh, PhD (plus 6 honorary
doctorates), philosopher
Greig Pickhaver, BA, comedian, actor, writer
Jenna Price, BA, MA, PhD, journalist and columnist
Elizabeth Reid AO, FASSA, AIIA, BPhil, BA (Hons), advisor to Gough Whitlam,
international civil servant, feminist and writer
Amy Remekis, BA, journalist and Chief Political Analyst, Australia Institute
Henry Reynolds, BA, MA, D.Litt, FAHA, FASSA, historian and activist, former
Tasmanian Australian of the Year
The Hon. Margaret Reynolds AC, BA, Diploma of Special Education, former ALP
Senator for Queensland, former minister in the Hawke government
David Ritter, BA (hons), LLB (hons), MA (dist.), Chief Executive Officer, Greenpeace
Australia Pacific
Peter Rose, BA, Writer and former Editor of the Australian Book Review
Lynette Russell AM, BA(Hons), PhD, FRGS, FRAI, FRHistS, FASSA, FAHA, IHF. Am.
Ac. Arts & Sciences, distinguished Indigenous historian; past president of the
Australian Historical Association
Ben Saul, BA (Hons), LLB (Hons), DPhil, FASSA FAAL, United Nations Special
Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counter-terrorism
Angela Savage, BA (Hons), PhD, author and Chief Executive Officer of Public Libraries
Victoria
Julianne Schultz AM, FAHA, BA, PhD, author and founding editor of The Griffith Review
Andrew Scott, BA (Hons), PhD, inaugural convenor of the Nordic Policy Centre, Australia
Institute
Emma Shortis, BA, PhD, Director of International & Security Affairs Program, Australia
Institute
Jessie Stephens, BA, MPhil, executive editor of Mamamia
Lachlan Strahan, BA (Hons), PhD, historian, writer, and former Australian high
commissioner to the Solomon Islands
Anne Summers AO, BA (Hons), PhD, feminist writer, editor, and former political adviser
to the Hawke and Keating governments
Peter Tesch, BA (Hons), DLitt (honoris causa); former ambassador to Russia & to
Germany; former Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN; former Dep. Sec. at
Dept. of Defence
Graeme Turner AO, FAHA, QCA, BA (Hons), MA, PhD, former president of the
Australian Academy of the Humanities
Julienne van Loon, BA(Hons), MA, PhD, novelist and essayist
Steve Vizard, FAICD, LLB, PhD, LLD (Honoris Causa), Barrister and Solicitor Supreme
Court of Victoria; former President of National Gallery of Victoria & Screen
Producers Australia
Don Watson, BA, PhD, author and former political adviser and speechwriter
The Hon. Andrew Wilkie, BA, Federal Independent Member of Parliament for Clark
Tim Winton AO, BA, Grad Dip, FAHA, four times winner of the Miles Franklin prize,
Booker-shortlisted novelist
Charlotte Wood AM, BA, MCA, PhD, Stella Prize winner, Booker-shortlisted author of
ten books
Clare Wright OAM, BA (Hons), MA, PhD; Chair, National Museum of Australia; Stella Prize winner; Co-author Vision Statement, Revive, National Cultural Policy
