麻豆传媒映画

University access is vital to preserving the Aussie 鈥楩air Go鈥�

By Professor Deborah Terry AO

The concept of 鈥榯he fair go鈥� has an enduring influence in Australia鈥檚 national identity, our culture, and our public policy debates.

It refers to a notion that I鈥檓 sure most Australians fully support 鈥� that we want to live in a society where everyone is included, treated respectfully, and given the opportunity to improve their lot in life.

But as we celebrate 鈥榃orld Access to Higher Education Day鈥� today, it鈥檚 worth considering whether Australia鈥檚 education system is living up to these aspirations and whether it truly offers a fair go to all.

Education, of course, is important in this regard, because it is the key to unlocking the doors of opportunity.

Studies comparing the life outcomes of university graduates with those who completed their education in high school consistently show the life-long benefits of higher education.

University graduates, on average, have a greater range of career choices, earn more, are healthier, and more socially connected than those who do not get the opportunity to study at university.

So, who exactly is getting a fair go when it comes to participating in Australia鈥檚 higher education system 鈥� and which segments of our society are missing out?

The great news is that over the past 13 years, the proportion of Australians aged 25 to 34 with a bachelors鈥� degree has climbed from 32% to 43.5%.

In our cities, almost half of 25 to 34 year olds now have a degree. Similarly, half of all Australian women in that age-bracket now have a university qualification.

However, while these overall trends are encouraging, the opportunity to study at university is not spread evenly across our society.

In the 14 years since the late Denise Bradley AC conducted her landmark Review of Australian Higher Education, there have been only minor gains in the participation of students from lower socio-economic (low SES) backgrounds. According to Curtin University鈥檚 National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education, the proportion of low SES students in our universities only crept up marginally from 15% in 2008, to 17% in 2019.

According to the latest available figures, the proportion of university students who come from rural and regional areas is roughly half that of city-dwellers. So, while 48% of 25 to 34 year olds in Australian cities now have a degree, that figure drops to 27% for people from inner regional areas 鈥� and 20% in outer regional and remote areas. For Indigenous Australians, it is just 10%.

For a nation that aspires to offer a fair go to all, these figures are disheartening.

But there is an encouraging awareness of these issues at Federal Government level, with the Education Minister Jason Clare making it one of his top priorities.

In one of his first speeches as Minister, in July this year, Minister Clare said: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want us to be a country where your chances in life depend on your postcode, your parents, or the colour of your skin. None of us want that. But that鈥檚 where we are today.鈥澛�

So, what can be done about it?

For a start, we need to accelerate our efforts to address the underlying systemic issues that contribute to educational disadvantage.

There are all sorts of known familial, social, and cultural factors that can hinder the learning of students through their high school years, blunt their aspirations, or impede their ability to gain academic skills.

For instance, a lack of generational familiarity with higher education can be a big factor.

When speaking with our education partners and community members, we hear time and time again that 鈥測ou can鈥檛 be what you can鈥檛 see鈥�. Therefore, aspiration building, role modelling, and pathway programs are crucial.聽

Another important factor is that students at high schools in disadvantaged or regional locations tend to suffer from a relative lack of educational resources and subject choices, when compared to their peers in more prosperous or urban areas.

So, there is a genuine need for targeted investment in high schools in low SES and regional and remote areas to address some of these shortcomings.

We could also be deploying technology more effectively throughout the education system 鈥� to broaden the curricula in regional areas; to connect students in low SES areas with mentors; and to offer greater flexibility within universities to ensure students stay engaged in learning.

Further, the higher education sector needs to continue to invest in alternative pathways to university, including bridging courses in STEM and tertiary access courses that help aspiring students to fulfil their ambitions.

And we also need to continue to invest in the development of regional universities, so that higher education remains an accessible, local option for students from rural, regional, and remote areas.

Undoubtedly, one of the other big barriers for students enrolling in higher education is simply a lack of means.

For these students, scholarship programs are vital. At 麻豆传媒映画 of Queensland (麻豆传媒映画), we鈥檝e been offering needs-based scholarships to support the tertiary aspirations of high school students for many years, under our Young Achievers Program.

But more recently, we鈥檝e launched a new initiative, called 鈥楾he Queensland Commitment鈥�, which is focussed on improving our pathway programs and growing our philanthropic endowment fund, so that we can provide many more needs-based scholarships for Queensland students, generation after generation.

Ultimately, our goal is to help remove the personal, financial, and geographic barriers that might deter Queensland students from coming to study at 麻豆传媒映画.

This is the contribution that we鈥檙e making to addressing the issue of equitable access to higher education in our corner of the nation, in partnership with a growing number of enthusiastic partners.

But the bigger project of disrupting educational disadvantage across Australia will require a more systemic approach, with the coordinated support of advocates, government, and the sector.

That may sound ambitious, but it鈥檚 important because education has the power to change lives 鈥� for individuals, for families, and for communities.

This is about preserving the concept of a 鈥榝air go鈥� in our society and giving all Australians an equal opportunity to enjoy the life-long benefits of a university education.

Professor Deborah Terry AO is the Vice-Chancellor and President of 麻豆传媒映画 of Queensland. 麻豆传媒映画 has today announced that it will match all donations greater than $50,000 to The Queensland Commitment Fund, to create greater access to needs-based scholarships.