TARGETS FOR LOW SES PARTICIPATION IN AUSTRALIAN HIGHER EDUCATION: GEOGRAPHICAL MEASURES AND STATE BOUNDARIES

Authors

  • Paul Koshy Curtin University

Abstract

This paper examines the measurement of the socio-economic status of Australian higher   education   students   in   relation   to   the   Rudd/Gillard   Government’s establishment of enrolment targets for higher education providers in regard to students from low socio-economic status ("low SES") backgrounds. In particular, it discusses area measures of socio-economic status – where a student’s status is determined by the postcode or collection district of the student’s permanent residence. In doing so, the paper outlines issues with the relevance of current area measures which use a national benchmark, particularly in the context of geographical constraints on the draw-pool of Australian higher education providers, where students attend institutions in their own state or territory. The paper introduces a new area measure which uses the individual state or territory as a reference point, as opposed to the current national reference point. This is assessed in relation to existing area measures and the recently announced funding policy by the Gillard Government.

References

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (2007) Census of Population and Housing: Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), Australia, 2006. Catalogue No. 2033.055.001.

Bradley, D. (2008) Review of Higher Education: Final Report (The Bradley Review).Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, AGPS, Canberra.

Commonwealth of Australia (2010a) Higher Education Support Act 2003, Other Grants Guidelines (Education) 2010. Retrieved 15 May 2011: from<http://www.deewr.gov.au/HigherEducation/Programs/Equity/Documents/HEPPPGuidelines_2010.pdf>

Commonwealth of Australia (2010b) Regional Participation: The Role of Socioeconomic Status and Access. Retrieved: 15 May 2011 from <http://www.deewr.gov.au/HigherEducation/Programs/Equity/Pages/RegionalParticipation.aspx>

Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) (2010) Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program. Retrieved: 15 May 2011 from http://www.deewr.gov.au/HigherEducation/Programs/Equity/Pages/HEPPProgram.aspx

Hoxby, C. (2009) The Changing Selectivity of American Colleges. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 23 (4) pp 95–118.

Phillimore, J. and Koshy, P. (2010) Meeting the Rudd Government’s equity targets for universities: three scenarios. People and Place, 18 (1) pp 1–18.

Rothman, S. (2003) Young People From Low-SES Families And Participation In Higher Education: Evidence From Five Australian Cohorts. Australian Council for Educational Research, Adelaide.

U.S. Department of Education (2009) National Center for Education Statistics, 2008 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. Retrieved: from

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Published

2011-12-30

How to Cite

Koshy, P. . (2011). TARGETS FOR LOW SES PARTICIPATION IN AUSTRALIAN HIGHER EDUCATION: GEOGRAPHICAL MEASURES AND STATE BOUNDARIES. The Journal of Contemporary Issues in Business and Government, 17(2), 44–61. Retrieved from https://cibgp.com/au/index.php/1323-6903/article/view/87

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 2 (2011): The journal of contemporary issues in business and government

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2011 The journal of contemporary issues in business and government

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