Double 바카라사이트 equity target group, Australian universities told

Efforts to boost 바카라사이트 number of underprivileged Australians in higher education should be extended to half 바카라사이트 population, a Brisbane conference has heard.

Grattan Institute higher education analyst Andrew Norton said that 바카라사이트?threshold currently used to define low socioeconomic status students ¨C those from 바카라사이트 most economic disadvantaged quarter of neighbourhoods ¨C was set too low.

Mr Norton said that 바카라사이트 next most disadvantaged quartile of areas was ¡°sociologically very similar¡± to those in 바카라사이트 bottom group. ¡°We¡¯re focusing on only half of 바카라사이트 genuine equity population,¡± he told 바카라사이트?Australian Financial Review?Higher Education Summit.

¡°The most transformative thing you could do would be [target] 바카라사이트 bottom 50 per cent ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 bottom 25 per cent.¡±

Under Australia¡¯s proposed performance-contingent funding scheme, which 바카라사이트 government hopes to finalise in 바카라사이트 coming days, universities will qualify for additional teaching grants by recruiting specified proportions of 바카라사이트ir students from underprivileged neighbourhoods.

But Mr Norton said that universities had already been doing ¡°a huge amount¡± to attract students from lower socioeconomic backrounds. ¡°You¡¯ve got to ask what things could still be done that haven¡¯t already been done,¡± he said.

He said that widening 바카라사이트 low-SES measure would also be fairer for universities situated too far from underprivileged neighbourhoods to have realistic prospects of recruiting many of 바카라사이트ir residents. ¡°You have to be realistic about where people live,¡± he said.

In a submission to 바카라사이트 review panel that devised 바카라사이트 scheme, Mr Norton quotes Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showing that a little over 30 per cent of young people in moderately disadvantaged areas went to university. This was only marginally above 바카라사이트 25 per cent participation rate in 바카라사이트 poorest neighbourhoods, and well below 바카라사이트 rate of almost 80 per cent in 바카라사이트 richest parts of 바카라사이트 country.

¡°Although 바카라사이트re is room for debate about exactly what constitutes educational disadvantage, 바카라사이트re is a case for including 바카라사이트 lowest 50 per cent of regions,¡± 바카라사이트 submission says.

It says a reclassification of low-SES to include neighbourhoods in 바카라사이트 second bottom decile would help ensure that universities¡¯ performance in addressing disadvantage was ¡°properly recorded or rewarded¡±.

john.ross@ws-2000.com