The Guardian 9 Feb, 2026 by Caitlin Cassidy
Australia risks becoming an “artless country” if it does not address the long-term decline in enrolments in creative courses, with more than 40 courses and degrees axed in less than a decade.
New research published in the Australian Journal of Education this week found fewer students in high school and university were choosing to study the creative arts. At the same time, it found, dozens of tertiary courses were being slashed.
The research pointed to the former Morrison government’s job-ready graduate scheme as directly relating to the decline. Implemented in 2021, that scheme substantially increased the cost of arts and creative courses to cheapen Stem courses.
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