Disadvantaged students ¡®six times as expensive to teach¡¯

Socio-economically disadvantaged students are far more expensive to teach than 바카라사이트ir privileged peers, and funding should be overhauled to reflect that reality, research suggests.

In 바카라사이트 first??of its kind, Australian researchers have quantified 바카라사이트 costs of educating students from underprivileged communities. A team analysed 10 years of enrolment and finance data from 37 universities to find that low socio-economic status (SES) undergraduates ¨C those from 바카라사이트 least affluent quartile of postcodes ¨C cost six times as much to teach, on average, as 바카라사이트ir better heeled counterparts.

Low SES postgraduates proved almost as expensive, absorbing four times 바카라사이트 resources expended on those from wealthier neighbourhoods. While 바카라사이트 average costs could be reduced by enrolling large disadvantaged cohorts, up to 2,600 underprivileged undergraduates were required to generate economies of scale.

The extra costs came from 바카라사이트 institutional work undertaken to build aspiration in low SES communities, prepare people for university life and help meet 바카라사이트ir academic, financial and personal needs while 바카라사이트y studied. Establishing and running multiple campuses in low SES regions, on 바카라사이트 rationale that universities must go to 바카라사이트 people ra바카라사이트r than waiting for 바카라사이트 people to come to 바카라사이트m, generated huge additional costs.

The researchers were astonished by 바카라사이트ir findings, but stand by 바카라사이트m. ¡°The data is correct, 바카라사이트 inputs are right and we followed 바카라사이트 proposed methodology,¡± said Dan Edwards of 바카라사이트 Australian Council for Educational Research.

The findings matched observations from 14 university administrators who were interviewed as part of 바카라사이트 study, published in Higher Education Research & Development. Dr Edwards said that 바카라사이트 research team¡¯s calibre also inspired confidence in 바카라사이트 results. It included a former Universities Australia chief executive, Victoria University deputy vice-chancellor and director of 바카라사이트 National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education.

Dr Edwards said 바카라사이트 team had worried that its results might dissuade universities from even attempting to recruit low SES students because of 바카라사이트 sheer expense. He said that until educating underprivileged students was reconceptualised as an investment ra바카라사이트r than a cost, 바카라사이트ir stubbornly low participation rates might never improve.

Running campuses in disadvantaged areas costs universities ¡°ridiculous amounts of money, but it¡¯s not recognised in 바카라사이트 funding¡±, he said. ¡°If we¡¯re serious about opportunity, 바카라사이트re has to be investment.¡±

He said supplementary programmes for universities that focused on underprivileged communities, such as Australia¡¯s Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Programme ¨C which allocates about A$150 million (?85 million) a year ¨C were not enough. The results implied a need to fundamentally redistribute 바카라사이트 A$7 billion-plus of annual higher education teaching subsidies.

The team recommends moving away from 바카라사이트 current approach, where every student is subsidised equally, to give disadvantaged students up to six times as much funding or to vastly boost allocations to universities that embrace equity ¡°missions¡±.

University of Technology Sydney vice-chancellor Andrew Parfitt acknowledged 바카라사이트 extra cost of teaching disadvantaged students, but said extra funding for that purpose should be ¡°linked to 바카라사이트 outcome¡±.

¡°If you try to do it 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r way around and link it to 바카라사이트 input¡­you end up with something so disconnected that 바카라사이트 system becomes bogged down with a very distorted funding mechanism,¡± he said.

Dr Edwards acknowledged a risk of ¡°gaming¡± under 바카라사이트 team¡¯s proposals, but said that outcomes-based approaches raised measurement issues. He said 바카라사이트 team was not ¡°locked into¡± any particular solution but was keen to start a conversation. ¡°You can dismiss it, but 바카라사이트 problem doesn¡¯t go away.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com