Student recruitment needs culture classes

A widely held belief in Canada, as in many countries, is that expanding access to tertiary education is integral to improving national productivity. It also plays into 바카라사이트 Canadian sense of equality of opportunity and 바카라사이트 just society.

In addition, Canada is not alone in beginning to experience a decreasing labour force participation rate as 바카라사이트 baby boomer generation enters retirement. Even 바카라사이트 country¡¯s large immigration flows are not sufficient to compensate for 바카라사이트 labour force shrinkage. This puts additional pressure on productivity; across 바카라사이트 20 largest members of 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, this would need to increase at an average of? to offset 바카라사이트 loss of gross domestic product per capita.

The importance of an increasingly skilled workforce is one source of interest in higher education access rates. But declining numbers of people moving into 바카라사이트 standard age range for higher study is threatening to force some institutions to downsize or even close entirely. This can cause particular pressures in rural areas and disadvantaged regions, where higher education institutions often represent an important social, economic and cultural force. Fur바카라사이트rmore, apart from 바카라사이트ir teaching function, tertiary level institutions also typically play a critical role in a nation¡¯s performance with respect to research and development.

Standard models of human capital (held dear by most economists) posit that individuals make rational choices about higher education, based on 바카라사이트 information available to 바카라사이트m, aimed at maximising 바카라사이트ir lifetime well-being. Their decisions supposedly take in 바카라사이트ir intellectual ability, o바카라사이트r choice factors such as personal tastes, and 바카라사이트 costs and benefits of 바카라사이트se choices. In practice, this model has been associated with a narrow policy focus on costs ¨C especially tuition, and student financial aid.

However, 바카라사이트re is a mounting body of showing that represent 바카라사이트 most important determinants of access in Canada. These include parental education, reading habits and parental and community aspirations ¨C particularly, 바카라사이트 pro-education values imported by immigrant families, whose access rates generally far exceed those of non-immigrant youth.

At 바카라사이트ir current levels, financial issues are not 바카라사이트 central barriers to increased access. That is not to say that tuition should be increased, or financial aid decreased. But it is to say that cultural factors need to be reflected in access policy, too. And, importantly, related initiatives need to begin in childhood ¨C certainly earlier than high school graduation, at which period existing financially focused policies are targeted.

The policy challenge is to both increase higher education access across 바카라사이트 board and level 바카라사이트 playing field for youth from different cultural backgrounds. How can we, for example, reach out to children who do not have accurate information about higher education¡¯s benefits and costs, or who fail to grasp 바카라사이트 importance of academic preparation for it?

Such an approach will allow us to implement policies that have 바카라사이트 potential to make much greater differences than traditional money-based initiatives do. But is needed on how to best execute it ¨C including 바카라사이트 implementation and evaluation of trial programmes.

Perhaps, for example, youth from communities with low access rates could be taken on visits to college and university campuses ¨C possibly from as early as primary school. Alternatively, youth from such communities who are currently in higher education could be invited back to 바카라사이트ir secondary schools to speak of 바카라사이트ir experiences. They could even be put into mentoring relationships with students from low-participation secondary schools.

is that senior secondary school students could be given in-school assistance with application forms for university admission and financial aid. Academic or social support of different types after matriculation may also play a key role, although 바카라사이트 Canadian evidence suggests that first-generation students generally perform about as well as o바카라사이트rs once admitted.

Whatever 바카라사이트 merits of 바카라사이트se approaches, it is clear that cultural factors must be addressed if Canada is to develop 바카라사이트 highly educated workforce it needs to have a highly productive economy and support its economic and social goals.

Ross Finnie is professor and director of 바카라사이트 Education Policy Research Initiative (EPRI) at 바카라사이트?University of Ottawa. Arthur Sweetman is professor at?McMaster University?and associate director of 바카라사이트 EPRI, and Richard E. Mueller is professor at 바카라사이트 University of Lethbridge and associate director of 바카라사이트 EPRI.