Dr. Joseph Ryan:

I thank the Chairman. I echo what Mr. Miley said. We really appreciate this opportunity to feed into an important discussion. The reform is absolutely welcome. The Chairman's example shows how a small degree of flexibility can make a big difference to a life. It is repaid not just through that person but right through society. From my own experience as a registrar, if we went by a rule book all the time we would not get very far.

That brings me to the point of what we could do. We could employ more discretion and invest more discretion in the professionals on the ground. I watched what was happening in institutions. There is a massive body of experience and knowledge in all of our support and caring services throughout the system. They know the students. They read the students very well. If they had "fraction of a kilometre" discretion in everything they were dealing with, we would have a much more effective system. It can still be absolutely accounted for.