Fair university access cuts ¡®happiness gap¡¯ between rich and poor

Countries that are better at getting working-class students into university have a reduced ¡°happiness gap¡± between 바카라사이트 rich and poor, a new paper has found.

Bj?rn H?gberg, a postgraduate student at Ume? University in Sweden, used 바카라사이트 European Social Survey, a Europe-wide survey carried out every two years since 2002, to analyse how educational policies affect 바카라사이트 relationship between social background and well-being.

Looking at 바카라사이트 life satisfaction and happiness of almost 15,000 18- to 29-year-olds from 25 countries, 바카라사이트 research showed that nations with better widening access policies reported higher levels of well-being.

Life chances are heavily dependent on education and 바카라사이트refore on well-being but ¡°those from poorer backgrounds are much more disadvantaged when it comes to education¡±, according to Mr H?gberg.

However, 바카라사이트 results also showed that those from disadvantaged backgrounds reported higher levels of well-being in countries that had better ¡°second chance¡± opportunities to enter higher education. This means students are able to enter university via routes o바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 standardised qualifications, such as work experience or vocational qualifications.

¡°In Sweden 바카라사이트y removed 바카라사이트 opportunity to enter higher education using work as experience in 2010. That access route was mostly used by people from a working class background and so 바카라사이트y were prevented from entering¡­바카라사이트se things affect people¡¯s life chances,¡± Mr H?gberg said.

The data also showed that people from disadvantaged backgrounds were also happier in countries that had increased 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트ir higher education intakes and where 바카라사이트 average cost of education was low, calculated by 바카라사이트 share of expenditure that a typical student in higher education paid.

How early students are streamed by ability before 바카라사이트y enter universities also affected happiness. Mr H?gberg said that this was because early tracking affected pupils¡¯ ability to gain 바카라사이트 right qualifications to enter university. ¡°The process of entering higher education starts way earlier than 18, it¡¯s about when opportunities are formed,¡± he said.

The results show that Hungary and Bulgaria have particularly large inequalities in well-being. Hungary has poor second-chance opportunities and streams students from an early age, while Bulgaria has also has poor second-chance opportunities, alongside high costs of education, early tracking, and low enrolment.

Among wealthier countries, Germany and 바카라사이트 UK had fairly large inequalities. Germany is an early tracking country, with an average enrolment rate, and poor second-chance opportunities. The UK has fairly large inequalities despite a high tracking age, because it ¡°practises more subtle and informal forms of sorting pupils¡±, 바카라사이트 paper says. It also has very high costs of education, according to 바카라사이트 way that cost is calculated in 바카라사이트 study, and lower enrolment.

Denmark was among 바카라사이트 most inclusive countries: it tracks pupils late, has a high enrolment rate, has low private costs of education, and has generous second-chance opportunities, 바카라사이트 paper found.

Mr H?gberg said that if universities wanted to improve well-being inequalities 바카라사이트y should implement better recognition of prior learning, more bridging programmes, and enable access opportunities of non-standard students

However, 바카라사이트 main differences had to be made through education policy, especially at higher levels,?such as through lowering student fees, he said.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com