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Media Release
SUPPORTING DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION
2 March, 2004 MIN635/04
Recently completed university research recommends a series of changes to the definition of equity groups within the higher education sector.
The report, Analysis of Equity Groups in Higher Education 1991-2002, conducted by the Centre for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE) at the University of Melbourne, reviews the equity groups used for the Australian Government’s Higher Education Equity Program (HEEP). This review was an initiative of the Government’s reforms to higher education, Our Universities: Backing Australia’s Future.
HEEP provides funding to universities for initiatives to support disadvantaged students including students from low-SES backgrounds, students from rural and isolated areas and students with disabilities.
The report’s researchers, headed by CSHE’s Associate Professor Richard James, found that the most significant equity gaps continue to be in access and participation, particularly for students from low socio-economic status and rural and isolated backgrounds and students with disabilities.
Specific findings of the report include:
- men in the fields of nursing, society and culture and education should be designated as a new equity group;
- achieving improvement in access for certain target groups such as students from low socio-economic backgrounds, students from rural and isolated backgrounds and students with disabilities is where the greatest increases remain to be made;
- people from non-English speaking backgrounds should no longer be considered a disadvantaged group in relation to higher education; and
- in relation to women in non-traditional fields of study, only women in the fields of engineering and women in information technology should be retained.
“The CSHE is pleased to contribute to a new discussion about the relevance of the existing equity groups in higher education. In particular, we believe the emerging gender imbalances are significant - and growing - and need to be looked at in new ways,” said Associate Professor Richard James.
Dr Kerri-Lee Krause, a member of the CSHE research team, said a major challenge was to devise better ways of identifying and attracting people from low socio-economic backgrounds, for the continuing under-representation in higher education of these Australians is perhaps the most persistent equity issue facing the sector.
A discussion paper, informed by the CSHE research, has been developed to set out key issues and pose a series of questions in order to stimulate discussion about the future directions of HEEP.
Under Our Universities: Backing Australia’s Future, the Australian Government provided an additional $31.8 million over the next five years for programmes to support disadvantaged students in higher education. From 2005, HEEP will receive around $4.5 million each year in additional funding, increasing funding to universities to a total of $10.2 million per year. From 2005 additional funding of around $3.2 million per year will also assist universities in supporting students with disabilities.
Submissions in response to the discussion paper will be received until 29 March 2004.
Analysis of Equity Groups in Higher Education 1991-2002, is available at:
http://www.dest.gov.au/highered/programmes/heep.htm
The HEEP Review Discussion Paper, is available at:
http://www.dest.gov.au/highered/programmes/heep.htm
Media contacts:
Dr Nelson’s Office: Ross Hampton 0419 484 095
Centre for the Study of Higher Education Assoc. Prof. Richard James 03 8344 7627
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