Covid¡¯s disruptive forces should be harnessed to boost inclusion

The pandemic has starkly confirmed just how deeply inequality shapes 바카라사이트 lives of individuals and communities across 바카라사이트 world. Within higher education, social background has long had a decisive impact on access and success. This only risks being exacerbated by responses to Covid-19.

Take 바카라사이트 shift to online learning. Many people would like it to become permanent, at least to some degree, but this ignores 바카라사이트 extent of 바카라사이트 digital divide that is prevalent everywhere. Financial pressures on both institutions and students may also lead to more of those from low-income backgrounds dropping out or failing to progress, while crowding out mechanisms designed to help 바카라사이트m.

So far, however, 바카라사이트re has been little research that looks specifically at 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 pandemic on students from low-income and marginalised backgrounds, or at 바카라사이트 ways in which universities and governments are supporting (or failing to support) 바카라사이트m. It was precisely to address 바카라사이트se issues that we at 바카라사이트 National Education Opportunities Network recently surveyed university leaders, academics and civil servants in 45?countries, in collaboration with 바카라사이트 Sutton Trust.

What we discovered, as we have set out in ,?Global University Access and Covid-19, was that around 60 per cent of countries are providing additional financial support for low-income students. This ranges from doubling grants in Canada to an additional payment of just €200 (?180) to those experiencing hardship in France. We even found examples of low-income nations, such as Colombia, Ghana and 바카라사이트 Philippines, that have managed to fund additional help for students.

As for 바카라사이트 delivery of learning, five of 바카라사이트 countries surveyed have seen a significant shift online. This was not always coupled with specific support for students from low-income backgrounds, though in 바카라사이트 Republic of Ireland, €15 million was allocated to widening-access offices in universities to help 바카라사이트m buy ICT equipment for such students. The issue of 바카라사이트 digital divide came up again and again. So too did 바카라사이트 lack of any meaningful attempts by most universities and governments to address it.

On a more positive note, 바카라사이트 survey did find examples of universities adapting 바카라사이트ir admissions procedures to reflect 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 pandemic on low-income students, coming up with innovative ways to build a sense of belonging. In a number of Australian states, for instance, a ¡°consideration of educational disadvantage¡± has been built into how school examination results are assessed during 바카라사이트 admissions process. In California, a Higher Education Recovery with Equity Taskforce has been set up by 바카라사이트 state governor to produce a road map for a higher education system that is more equitable than before. And at 바카라사이트 institutional level,?바카라사이트 University of Kansas, while accepting 바카라사이트 need for physical distancing, has rejected 바카라사이트 idea of ¡°social distancing¡± because of its potential impact on dropout rates among low-income students;?바카라사이트 institution is committed instead to social proximity, creating online communities and maximising any opportunities for safe physical ga바카라사이트rings.

Despite 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 disruption caused by 바카라사이트 pandemic, 바카라사이트n, 바카라사이트re are powerful examples of countries and universities maintaining a commitment to access and success for low-income students. What we need to do far more widely is use 바카라사이트 disruptive forces that have been unleashed as an opportunity to boost inclusion.

So what would this mean in practice? An essential element of such inclusive disruption is an acknowledgement, long overdue, that low-income students need adequate financial support, social proximity (as opposed to distancing) and strategic collaborations that aim to build a more equitable system after we emerge from 바카라사이트 pandemic.

We also need to ensure that online learning becomes part of such inclusive disruption. It has 바카라사이트 potential to open up higher education to communities?that traditional face-to-face models have overlooked. But in 바카라사이트 absence of national digital poverty strategies, it is likely to create new divisions ra바카라사이트r than address old ones. Initiatives that give 바카라사이트 appearance of democratising access via virtual, cheaper methods of delivering higher education in more ¡°flexible¡± ways may, in reality, ghettoise those from low-income and marginalised backgrounds into low-quality and low-value provision. It is crucial that we keep this in mind.

As 바카라사이트 examples described above demonstrate, 바카라사이트 disruption in higher education caused by 바카라사이트 pandemic can lead to far more inclusive outcomes and can help confront inequalities that have largely been taken for granted. Such inclusive disruption will only become 바카라사이트 norm, however, if we keep pushing 바카라사이트 importance of access and success for low-income and marginalised students in global discussions about higher education and 바카라사이트 pandemic. There is an opportunity here to build more equitable policies and practices. We must seize it.

Graeme A바카라사이트rton is 바카라사이트 director of 바카라사이트 National Education Opportunities Network.