Policy Addressing Poverty

At the University of Newcastle, we believe that education is a powerful force for breaking the cycle of poverty and creating opportunities for individuals, families, and communities. Our commitment to equity, social justice, and inclusion extends to research and policy engagement that seeks to reduce structural barriers to education, housing and opportunity.

In 2025, University researchers contributed national policy proposals concerning disadvantage in schools and barriers to tertiary education, while University-led forums connected researchers and government representatives around the regional housing crisis. These activities complement the University’s practical support for students and communities.

Contributing to national policy on educational disadvantage

2025 policy proposals for disadvantaged schools

In March 2025, the University’s Teachers and Teaching Research Centre (TTRC) published its  Impact Agenda 2025–2028, outlining education policy priorities for the next Australian Parliament. Its proposals included expanding research–practice partnerships for schools with high levels of disadvantage and investing in culturally responsive teaching to help improve educational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

The agenda identified Cessnock High School as a regional example: more than 75% of its students were in the lowest socio-educational quartile. It recommended government funding and policy arrangements to enable disadvantaged schools to implement evidence-based Quality Teaching Rounds, including time for teacher professional learning and administrative support. It also reported that University researchers were supporting 20 NSW government schools with high concentrations of disadvantage.

These proposals were set out in the University’s 2025–2028 TTRC Impact Agenda and connect education policy to the longer-term effects of poverty and inequality.

Formal contribution to the Australian Government’s Economic Reform Roundtable

In July 2025, Distinguished Laureate Professor Jenny Gore AM and colleagues from the TTRC made a formal submission to the Australian Government’s Economic Reform Roundtable. They recommended a three-year, $150 million national investment in Quality Teaching Rounds, drawing on evidence of improved student learning and particularly strong results in disadvantaged school settings. This was a specific contribution to national policy deliberations, rather than a claim that the recommendation was adopted.

Developing national policy settings for free university pathways

In 2025, the Australian Government commissioned the University of Newcastle to undertake the National FEE-FREE Uni Ready Project. Drawing on the University’s experience delivering enabling programmes, the project developed policy recommendations and guidance to help universities offer preparatory study without course fees, particularly for people underrepresented in higher education. Its policy report and best-practice guide were publicly launched in April 2026; the commission began in 2025.

Regional policy dialogue on housing affordability

Housing costs and insecurity can prevent people from meeting basic needs and participating fully in education and employment. On 29 April 2025, the University’s School of Architecture and Built Environment hosted a Built Environment Research Forum at Callaghan, bringing together government, researchers, industry and community representatives to examine the regional housing crisis. The programme addressed housing supply, affordability, policy reform and practical pathways for improvement.

NSW Minister for Housing and Homelessness Rose Jackson and the NSW Building Commissioner were announced as keynote speakers. The forum created a forum for informed discussion with government, but the publicly available account does not establish that the University jointly authored or implemented a particular housing policy through the event.

Human rights and equity in public policy

The University also contributes research and advocacy on the rights and opportunities of people facing disadvantage. Beginning in 2025, Professor Amy Maguire worked with the Australian Human Rights Commission through an ARC Industry Fellowship to examine reform of Australia’s human rights framework. During its first year, the collaboration included work on national human rights assessment, human rights education strategy development and engagement with United Nations monitoring processes. These are broader human-rights contributions rather than stand-alone evidence of a poverty policy at international level.

This builds on the Centre for Law and Social Justice’s Human Rights Symposium, held on 25 November 2024 at the University’s Sydney campus. More than 40 academics, practitioners, advocates and government representatives discussed Australia’s rights framework and potential reforms. This earlier event provides historical context for the University’s continuing policy dialogue.

Programmes that put equity commitments into practice

Improving Access to Higher Education remains a practical focus of the University. Through the Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP), equity-focused research and initiatives such as Open Foundation, Yapug and the Excellence through Equity Pathway to Medicine, the University helps students who may not have had traditional access to tertiary education.

The Centre of Excellence for Equity in Higher Education works on access, retention and success for people facing structural barriers. During January–March 2025, the Centre supported 470 students through initiatives addressing intersecting challenges, including experiences of displacement, care and gender-based violence. Its work helps connect the University’s support programmes with research on more equitable systems.

We aim to ensure at least 20% of our domestic students are from low socio-economic backgrounds. Scholarships and grants, emergency loans and vouchers, and affordable on-campus services help students experiencing financial hardship. The Student Grocery Hub, a collaboration with the University of Newcastle Students’ Association and City of Newcastle, provides access to affordable groceries and sanitary products. These initiatives address material barriers to study, although they are distinct from direct involvement in government policy-making.

The Wollotuka Institute strengthens this inclusive approach through culturally grounded educational pathways, student support and engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. These activities sit alongside the University’s wider commitment to understanding poverty in relation to housing, health, discrimination, education and social participation.

By contributing research and proposals to national policy deliberations and convening regional dialogue, the University of Newcastle helps build the knowledge needed to reduce poverty-related barriers. Its equity programmes translate this commitment into practical opportunities for students and communities.