Racism at Australian universities found 'systemic' in landmark report

A national Australian Human Rights Commission study found racism is systemic at universities, reporting high rates of indirect and direct incidents and shortcomings in complaints processes; the report includes 47 recommendations and the federal government says it will review them and introduce legislation to strengthen the regulator.

A national study by the Australian Human Rights Commission found racism to be systemic across Australian universities. The review was commissioned under the Universities Accord to examine the prevalence and impact of racism in tertiary education. The report drew on responses from about 76,000 students and staff and concluded many universities had not met their duty of care. The commonwealth received the report in December and the education minister said the government will review the recommendations and pursue regulatory changes. Key findings: - The study surveyed about 76,000 students and staff and reported 70% experienced indirect racism and 15% experienced direct racism at university. - Respondents from religious Jewish and Palestinian communities reported the highest rates of experienced racism; several other groups also reported high rates. - Only 6% of people who experienced direct racism made a complaint, with low trust in complaints systems cited. - The report says university complaints processes often failed and called the systems ineffective in many cases. - The commission made 47 recommendations, including a national antiracism framework for tertiary education and regular complaints reporting. Summary: The report concludes that racism is deeply embedded in university settings and that current institutional responses are insufficient, affecting students and staff across multiple communities. The federal government has said it will review the 47 recommendations and intends to introduce legislation in the coming months to strengthen the university regulator and lift sector standards.