Recently, at a mobile office event I regularly hold in my electorate, I was approached by a constituent who wanted to talk about the work of early 20th century educational philosopher John Dewey, who believed education had a role to play in cultivating an engaged citizenry and a stronger democracy.

That day, I also spoke to people in the community about the growing costs of accessing higher education, the dismal levels of insecure work in the sector, and an inequitable system put in place by the previous government that limited access to many, and financially discouraged students from studying particular courses (such as those focusing on the humanities).

In my first speech to Parliament, I addressed the importance of education: from the earliest years to lifelong learning. The opportunities I’ve received in my life and any skills that I have are a product of Australia’s educational system, but I have been particularly concerned about the state of our higher education system for some time now. I am deeply worried about what the implications are for our democracy if our higher education system is unable to thrive.

I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to undertake postgraduate study, and my first career was as an academic. I retain my love of research and learning, and in representing a community that is home to two universities I am continually in awe of the pursuit of knowledge and innovation that take place daily on my doorstep.

Our institutions really are some of the best in the world, but we cannot sustain excellent research, a satisfying student experience, the development of transferrable skills and the creation of solid career pathways cannot happen unless we do more as a nation in our approach to higher education.

Critically, the anxieties I hear in my community about universities are not just about the institutions themselves, but about what the promise of a qualification ought to be about, and the cynicism about fulfilling this in a time full of housing stress, insecure work and cost-of-living pressures.

I’ve spoken with parents who are sick with worry about their children’s future and their ability to forge a secure future for themselves. I have met with Professors and young researchers devastated by the increasingly insecure nature of work and research at Australian universities. And I have heard from students who are struggling with balancing jobs and study, needing to take on extra jobs to pay their rent.

While our government’s cost-of-living pressures are welcome, the future of higher education is something that more in our community are turning their minds to. Our government understands this concern and made a pledge ahead of the 2022 election to make change. That’s what we are doing now.

We are currently undertaking a deep review of the higher education system in Australia, led by Professor Mary O’Kane with an interim report to appear shortly. Professor Bruce Chapman, the architect of HECS, is examining the fee system to ensure that education can remain both democratic and sustainable for generations to come.

This ‘Australian Universities Accord’ process is the most comprehensive review of its kind since the Bradley Review initiated by then Education Minister Julia Gillard in 2008 and is essential. The Accord has consulted so far with a large cross-section of the sector and broader community and received over 300 submissions.

This is a serious process.

UNESCO has spoken of the need for a new social contract for education, a way to reduce inequality, provide opportunity and to see education as a “public endeavour and a common good”.

We need a social contract that sees acquiring a degree as a way out of poverty, not a means to burden young people with debt. The social contract must too deliver sustainable employment for those aspiring to research within the academy, as well as meaningful career pathways outside of it.

I believe that through the Accord process, we can redesign our system to one where optimism and curiosity are nurtured, to deliver great research and teaching outcomes for the public good, to create a social contract for higher education.

To return to John Dewey and educational philosophy, building a better university system is good for our democracy, ensuring everyone has access to the ability to learn, to think and analyse.

Without pre-empting the recommendations to emerge from the considered Accord process, this moment represents the best we have had for almost fifteen years to shape higher education in a way that enhances our already excellent institutions and ensures that truly nobody is left behind.

This is an enormous challenge, and a tremendous opportunity. I, like so many in my community, am looking forward to reading the interim report from the Accord, and playing my part to do the work that is required ahead.

Carina Garland is a Labor MP and has served the Member for the seat of Chisholm in Melbourne since the 2022 federal election.