19 November 2009

The roundtable Social inclusion in education was part of the Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences' HASS on the Hill program on 28 October 2009. Researchers, politicians and policy makers engaged in an energetic discussion on the issue of social inclusion in dducation and meeting the targets set for 2020, which will lead to a significant brief on relevant research to Government policy-makers.

The roundtable was an exercise in knowledge transfer, allowing researchers, MPs and Senators to discuss what we know and don't know about the question of social inclusion in education, and the key programs and policies needed to achieve the Bradley Review target of 20 per cent participation in higher education from socio-economic groups disadvantaged through social and educational systems, low incomes, remoteness and other factors. The discussion centred around the roundtable briefing paper, Social inclusion in education: The challenge of creating capable students in higher education, and the following questions it raises:

1. How do children and young people negotiate the Australian education system, particularly the key life transitions of starting school, going to high school, and leaving school?
2. What programs and policies are effective in improving the pathways of socially marginalised children and young people through the school system?
3. What policies and programs are effective at the tertiary level in encouraging participation by marginalised groups in higher education?
4. What are the effective means of evaluating what works and what doesn't in encouraging participation by marginalised groups in higher education?

The discussion paper emphasises that the 20 per cent target will be sustainably achieved only if improved access to higher education is supported by strategies to create students capable of participating fully in higher education, through an improvement in educational outcomes from an early age.

The roundtable discussion confirmed the importance of the programs and issues raised in the briefing paper, Social inclusion in education: The challenge of creating capable students in higher education, especially those relating to fostering early childhood development and university outreach programs in schools and communities. The researchers also raised other issues and suggested other relevant research, such as in Indigenous education, rural and regional education, and the differential in educational outcomes for male and females students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The discussion is summarised in more detail below.

The briefing paper is currently being revised to incorporate suggestions and discussion from the roundtable, which will then be forwarded to the Department of Employment, Education and Workplace Relations to inform policy making on social inclusion in education.

The Department welcomed the continued work on Creating Capable Students, highlighting the importance of the Creating Capable Students project in raising awareness of the issue of social inclusion in education, which is one of the Government's goals of setting the target of 20 per cent by 2020. Discussions are beginning with the Department of Employment, Education and Workplace Relations for a future roundtable involving all concerned government departments, including Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) and Treasury.

The roundtable chairs welcome any additional comments about the briefing paper, the outcomes of the discussion, and the future shape of the discussion paper. Please forward any feedback or suggestions to Heidi Hutchison, CHASS Research and Policy Officer, policy [at] chass.org.au.

Background and aims of the roundtable

In March this year the Minister for Education Julia Gillard announced the Government's aim to increase the proportion of students from low socio-economic (SES), rural, regional and indigenous backgrounds participating in higher education from 15 to 20 per cent by 2020.

Achieving this target requires a holistic approach to social inclusion policies, with a specific focus on addressing the causes and consequences of educational exclusion of low SES, rural, regional and indigenous students. This includes tackling the health, financial, cultural and systemic barriers to educational attainment within specific schools, families, and communities; promoting high quality early childhood programs; and improving school retention rates and supporting students through crucial educational transition periods.

Social sciences researchers have a strong track record on the question of improving the educational achievement of socially marginalised children and young people. They can draw on a large international and Australian evidence base pointing to the importance of early childhood development and primary schooling in improving educational outcomes in the long term. Much is also known about the ways in which our educational systems reproduce advantage and disadvantage, and what can be done to overcome systemic barriers to achievement. In this regard, universities have a distinct role to play in targeting outreach programs at preschools, primary and high schools and at crucial educational transitional periods. What is needed is a co-ordinated approach involving the higher education sector, schools, government departments and non-government organisations, aimed at building capacities in communities, preschools, schools and universities.

Discussion outcomes

Senator Trish Crossin opened the discussion by raising the issue of Indigenous education, arguing for more focus on getting people in Indigenous communities to appreciate the value and necessity of education. She made the point that it is difficult enough getting Indigenous children through to year 12, let alone to university. Senator Crossin pointed out that the health sector in Indigenous communities in NT have done a good job on highlighting the impact of their surroundings on health outcomes, but campaigns such as these have not been happening in the education sector.

Discussion participants welcomed the Creating Capable Students project, and affirmed the importance of early childhood, community and parental development programs in improving educational outcomes and aspirations. There was also considerable debate defining the role of universities in creating aspirations and capabilities for higher education from pre-school onwards. It was noted that if universities are to expand, they will need to re-examine teaching methods and materials to recognise the increased diversity in student backgrounds, in addition to facilitating outreach programs.

The roundtable discussion highlighted some important issues and research to be included in future versions of the briefing paper.

1. Indigenous education - the discussion participants agreed that a separate section of the discussion paper was needed to include research into improving educational outcomes for Indigenous communities. The discussion highlighted that the issues impacting on education are different for outback and remote communities and urban based indigenous families, and that this diversity would be best dealt with in a dedicated section.
2. Participation of students from rural and regional backgrounds - the discussion highlighted that the paper also needs to address the issues facing rural and regional students access to higher education more directly. In particular, the paper could incorporate research into what factors affect different students and when. It is important that regional students include some metropolitan areas that display similar attributes to regional and rural students.
3. Gender influences - what are the different factors affecting access and aspiration to higher education for males and females? Are different strategies needed?
4. Teaching and retention of disadvantaged students - research in the resources available in universities for teaching disadvantaged students. The paper should emphasise the need for universities and government to track where new students enrol, by area and by discipline, to ensure adequate resources are available for teaching.
5. Teacher education - the project should be as much about creating capable teachers as students.
6. The role of the VET sector

Those participating in the discussion included:

Chair:

• Chair: Professor Ross Homel AO FASSA, CHASS Vice-President, Foundation Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Griffith University
• Co-chair: Professor Trevor Gale, Director, National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education, University of South Australia

Researchers and policy-makers:

• Senator Trish Crossin, Senator for Northern Territory
• Dr Merryn Davies, Co-Director of Victoria University's Access and Success Project
• Associate Professor Marian Baird, University of Sydney
• Professor Cathryn McConaghy, Dean, Faculty of Education, University of Canberra
• Mr Sam Sellar, Post Doctoral Research Fellow, University of South Australia
• Professor Jennifer Bowes, Institute of Early Childhood, Macquarie University
• Professor Faith Trent AM FACE, Executive Dean, Faculty of Education, Humanities, Law and Theology, Flinders University
• Ms Dianne Peacock, Director - Student Income Support Policy, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
• Mr Jason Coutts, Branch Manager - Equity Performance and Indigenous, Higher Education Group, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations

HASS on the Hill delegates also attended the roundtable as an audience and contributed to the discussion. Late apologies were received from:

• Senator the Hon Ursula Stephens, Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector
• Ms Anna Burke MP, Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives
• Senator Rachel Siewert, Senator for Western Australia
• Ms Sharon Bird MP, Electoral Division of Cunningham (NSW)

Heidi Hutchison
Policy and Research Officer
Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

Heidi Hutchison
19 November 2009

 

 

For more information, please contact:

Executive Director

Council of the Humanties, Arts and Social Sciences

Phone: +61 2 6201 2740

director@chass.org.au