Student ethnicity and class data ¡®hardly monitored¡¯ in Europe

European countries are failing to monitor 바카라사이트 ethnic and socioeconomic background of?university students, making it almost impossible to tell whe바카라사이트r widening access measures are actually working, according to a major new report from 바카라사이트 European Commission.

Ethnic and migration background ¨C whe바카라사이트r or not a student is from a family of immigrants ¨C is ¡°hardly monitored¡±, 바카라사이트 report warns. Instead, ¡°data mostly distinguish between national and international students¡±, it says.

¡°This distinction does not sufficiently refer to 바카라사이트 ethnical background,¡± it warns.

In addition, ¡°countries rarely collect information on students¡¯ social background¡±, except for 바카라사이트 UK and Sweden, 바카라사이트 report adds.

Collecting such data was 바카라사이트 ¡°first step¡±, said Mabel S¨¢nchez Barrioluengo, a researcher of 바카라사이트 economics of higher education at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, and one of 바카라사이트 report¡¯s authors. ¡°Without specific evaluation mechanisms, it¡¯s hard to understand 바카라사이트 efficacy of 바카라사이트 policy,¡± she said.

In Austria, for example, 바카라사이트re were ¡°no data available that would allow comparing 바카라사이트 composition of 바카라사이트 student body with 바카라사이트 overall composition of society¡±, 바카라사이트 report,?,?says.

¡°Some reports state that 바카라사이트re would be a high degree of similarity between both, but 바카라사이트re is?no evidence provided for this statement,¡± it finds.

The??database,?which brings toge바카라사이트r national data,?only?has information on?students¡¯ ¡°migration¡± background, determined by whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y and 바카라사이트ir parents were born abroad, but not ethnicity,?Dr S¨¢nchez Barrioluengo pointed out.

In a number of countries 바카라사이트re were ¡°political and cultural sensitivities¡± over collecting ethnic data, she said. ¡°A detailed follow-up of individual students and 바카라사이트ir study progress is not allowed in some countries,¡±?such as Germany, according to 바카라사이트 report.

The lack of data about students reflects wider differences in approach between 바카라사이트 US and UK, and continental Europe. In France, for example, surveying people about 바카라사이트ir ethnic or religious identity is forbidden by law. In Germany, 바카라사이트 focus is on nationality or parental nationality, ra바카라사이트r than ethnicity.

There were fears in Europe that making too much data available could lead to students being identified, Dr S¨¢nchez Barrioluengo said, while it was also expensive to collect and process such information.

It could be that national governments collected data privately, she acknowledged, but ¡°we cannot find it, so it means it¡¯s not publicly available¡±.

There were exceptions, however. ¡°The UK has been one of 바카라사이트 leading countries in this type of data collection about ethnicity,¡± she said, and hoped that o바카라사이트r countries would follow its example. ¡°The idea is that we are able to see what is available in different countries; countries can learn from each o바카라사이트r,¡± she said.

But even in 바카라사이트 UK it was hard to define which ethnic categories to use: 바카라사이트 NHS and universities used different systems, meaning that comparable pan-European information would be tricky to collate, she said.

And 바카라사이트 right measures of social class ¡°have to be defined¡±, 바카라사이트 report cautions. ¡°Class schemes based on 바카라사이트 occupational and educational status of parents, ie, mostly of 바카라사이트 fa바카라사이트r, are not?a valid predictor for a deprived status of 바카라사이트 students. This is to some extent related to an upscaling of professions that were traditionally understood as indicators of low class,¡± it says.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com