Access , equity and power
60 .
Improving literacy to address inequities and widen participation in Australian higher education for disadvantaged groups
The problem
The Bradley Review of Australian Higher Education in 2008 highlighted the need to address the underrepresentation of Indigenous , low socio-economic , regional and remote populations to deliver an outstanding , internationally competitive education system . Equally , the drive for equity shaped the needs-based funding model of the 2011 Gonski report .
However , while the Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program ( HEPPP ), implemented in 2010 , was designed to increase access and raise aspirations for higher education , it has been criticised for being co-opted as a recruitment strategy for universities .
Our solution
Prioritising literacy is fundamental to improving equity in higher education , says Dr Sally Baker from UNSW ’ s School of Education . Research shows that gaps in literacy can lead to entrenched patterns of disengagement and disadvantage . To effectively widen participation , we need strategies that are research-driven , longitudinal and anti-competitive in nature .
More on this story
Sally Baker is an expert in teaching , language and literacies , and the educational experiences of culturally and linguistically marginalised ( CALM ) migrant and refugee students . Her research operates through an advocacy lens informing public policy and practice on issues of equity in higher education .
She was the original research lead and architect of the ‘ Imagined Futures ’ project , under the NSW Equity Consortium . The project is a sector-first collaboration between three universities and five Western Sydney schools to improve equity in and access to higher education for students from low socio-economic , Indigenous and CALM backgrounds . Its literacy-focused program was developed with teachers and careers advisors to build student and school capacity , improve learning outcomes , and encourage students to cultivate more “ expansive futures ”.
Each university delivers learning initiatives to whole-of-year cohorts in Years 7 – 10 , using creative methods to help students navigate diverse pathways post-school . The initiatives provide a mechanism to challenge deficit thinking around students ’ expectations post-school , both their own preconceptions and un / conscious institutionalised bigotry .