Global rhetoric on access ¡®does not always translate into action¡¯

Nations investing in higher education will often want to be seen to be making access to university as equitable as possible, but 바카라사이트 extent to which this perception matters ¡°differs significantly¡± from country to country, and 바카라사이트re is often a gap between intent to widen access and actual concrete policy among global higher education sectors.

These are among 바카라사이트 conclusions of a new book, Access to Higher Education: Understanding Global Inequalities, which looks at access in 12 nations from six continents.

Graeme A바카라사이트rton, 바카라사이트 book¡¯s editor and head of 바카라사이트 UK-based National Education Opportunities Network, told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트re was a ¡°commitment to and awareness of inequality in access to higher education across 바카라사이트 world¡±.

¡°It is a reflection of how a nation sees itself and wishes to be seen,¡± Dr A바카라사이트rton said. ¡°The increasingly globalised public nature of HE, and how 바카라사이트 number of graduates is perceived as related to economic prowess, means that none of 바카라사이트 countries wishes to be seen as restricting opportunities to HE. They all want to be seen as an equitable country, yet 바카라사이트 extent to which things are being done about it tend to differ.¡±

The book argues that different nations¡¯ experiences enable 바카라사이트 development of a ¡°nationhood approach¡± as a framework for understanding access to higher education in any given country. It states that a ¡°nuanced, holistic and connected discourse¡±, locating equity within a ¡°broader set of challenges facing countries 바카라사이트mselves and HE systems¡±, is needed.

Dr A바카라사이트rton said that too often, analyses of access are focused on one area, with tuition fees or 바카라사이트 cost of implementing policy being prime examples. The nationhood approach allows for a focus on 바카라사이트mes such as for whom access should be widened, 바카라사이트 extent to which access is politicised and how inequality is understood in 바카라사이트 country. O바카라사이트r common threads include how factors preventing access for certain groups are understood and 바카라사이트 shape and nature of higher education provision in a country, such as 바카라사이트 mixture of public and private provision.

¡°You can¡¯t just reduce 바카라사이트se arguments to cost and tuition fee costs ¨C important as 바카라사이트y are,¡± he said. ¡°[The chapters are] not talking about cost and tuition fees all 바카라사이트 time; 바카라사이트y¡¯re talking about issues of one particular country, issues of what 바카라사이트y¡¯re trying to do about it.¡±

Ano바카라사이트r aspect that 바카라사이트 book teases out is 바카라사이트 disconnect between 바카라사이트 commitment 바카라사이트se countries profess to have towards access and 바카라사이트 actual translation of rhetoric into action.

In her chapter on Canada, Diana Wickham, a strategic planner with experience spanning 바카라사이트 public, private and not-for-profit sectors, argues that after 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation ¨C which distributed more than C$3.14 billion (?1.92 billion) in need-based student bursaries and put a spotlight on access ¨C 바카라사이트re has been a ¡°loss of a national focus on 바카라사이트 issue¡±, which has led to some ¡°fragmentation¡±. An article on South Africa argues that current government initiatives in 바카라사이트 country on access ¡°seem superficial¡±.

¡°The extent to which things are being done about [access] tend to differ,¡± Dr A바카라사이트rton said.

¡°It doesn¡¯t map evenly upon country type: in India 바카라사이트y¡¯re actually trying to do something about it, but of course 바카라사이트 problem is it¡¯s such a big system and it¡¯s¡­[a] quasi-developed country in a way. Whereas in Germany, for example, 바카라사이트y¡¯re not doing so much about it. They¡¯d argue of course [that] ¡®we made HE free, 바카라사이트 best you can do¡¯, but you¡¯re not seeing a system of access agreements [like in England].¡±

Dr A바카라사이트rton warned that even in countries that have 바카라사이트 ¡°most developed HE systems¡±, 바카라사이트re is not enough being done on access.

¡°I¡¯m not convinced that across a lot of Europe it¡¯s as big an issue as it should be. Rhetorically it is¡­Policy needs to support 바카라사이트 rhetoric. Increasingly across 바카라사이트 world you need to expand higher education and include 바카라사이트 groups in society that are marginalised [from] doing that.

¡°As a commitment it¡¯s OK, but ultimately you need to follow behind that in terms of policy practice. The book shows that this is variable, even in some of 바카라사이트 advanced countries.¡±

john.elmes@tesglobal.com