Low Socio-Economic Status People and Their Impact on University Participation, Choice of University and Choice of Course in Australia

Meritocracy, the system where each person's progression is due to their achievements, is seen constantly throughout society and it is suggested to be in Australian higher education. This essay will argue that rural students who attend or plan on attending university challenge this suggestion of meritocracy in Australian universities, as rural students are unequal compared to urban students. This essay will show that universities are not based on merit alone, as rural students are disadvantaged in areas such as distance, family & community values, course availability and university availability.

Andrew Simmons published his article for The Atlantic, “The Danger of Telling Poor Kids that College is the Key to Social Mobility” on January 16, 2014, which raises his concerns that higher education is only being promoted as an opportunity to increase their economic status, when it should be an opportunity to experience an education (Simmons). Through the use of students such as Isabella, Simmons disagrees with the way students now look at higher education and blames the educators through the students’ lives for this view. Instead, Simmons views education as an intellectual opportunity rather than a way to elevate ones economic class which is all people see when they see “higher education.” He believes that education, ambition and work ethic is how you have a satisfying life, not with how much you make. He makes the point that when economics becomes the main goal of education it’s all children begin to think about and they might not pursue something that they are truly passionate about or what they want to learn about, which then does not create an intellectually awakening experience (Simmons).

Thus, globalization forces researchers to understand the influence of mobility, in addition to education, on social class (Banks & Banks, 2013). This articles I chose to investigate social class and its implications for educational outcomes are Social class and the hidden curriculum of work by Jean Anyon and Reappraising the importance of class in higher education entry and persistence by John Field and Natalie Morgan Klein.

Ordinarily, people are in control their actions. However, all actions and decisions are based on knowledge and experience, or, a person’s social location. Considering the article by Janice Bloom (2005), Hollowing the Promise of Higher Education: Inside the Political Economy of Access to College, many students in low socioeconomic status are not knowledgeable about their financial options with regards to accessing higher education. This lack of knowledge generates a perception of limited options which leads to uninformed decision-making. For example, Bloom explains that several students in her

With the growing importance of higher education, more people than ever are attending college. According to a middle-class parent, “[Higher education] seen as a means of developing a career and getting secure employment.” (30, Higher Education, social class and social mobility) Moreover, “parents believe that their children need a university education to get on in life… over the past decades (parents) fearful that without a degree their children will be in danger of downward social mobility. (32, Higher

Success is attainable by all students except when circumstances of one’s environment prevent forward movement. If access to graduation is equitable and attainable, students will be prepared to enroll and persist in college thereby increasing their opportunities for success and high qualities of life. Swanson (2009) reiterates a focus of the Obama campaign on graduate rates as most important because the diploma is not only a source of economic benefit but of preparation for global competitiveness. Increased graduations rates stand to serve an increase in national economy while lifting students most at risk from poverty. The impact of education on poverty is found through increasing access to graduation. Swanson (2009) suggests that attainment of higher levels of education is not enough, the

Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander students have challenged the meritocratic in the university system, as they are a minority but they still continue to succeed and hold a lot of power and help dictate and design the changes that are being made in Government funding and in the higher education and university structure. This is shown with the lower application and offers and with the percentage rates that are offered at the higher education level. Their Success in the higher education system is often due to support groups that the universities have formed with the financial and mental support from the Australian government that the two organisations have combined to offer. Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander student often face challenges

Schooling in Australia reproduces and exists to reproduce the structure of inequality we see in class and sex. Social stratification is endorsed by the secular, free and compulsory schooling that is provided in Australian society (Connell, et al., 1986). There is a lack of social mobility through education, especially in capitalist economies, this can be attributed to Government policy and how it tends to increase educational inequality rather than reduce it.

The Scottish Funding Council has aspirations to increase attainment levels amongst students within Higher and Further Education. Aligned with this is their desire for institutions to “improve access for people from the widest range of backgrounds” (http://www.sfc.ac.uk/web/FILES/Funding_Outcome_Agreements_2014-15/Higher_Education_Outcome_Agreements_Achievements_and_Ambitions_2014-15.pdf) the desired output of this result in improved life chances for all (the Scottish Government Raising Attainment).

A good education is vital in succeeding within many industries in the UK, from Business to Medicine, Politics to Art. It unfortunately does not come as a surprise that only 58.6% of students attained 5 or more GCSE’s at grades A* to C (Department for Education 2012). In comparison, albeit falling this year on previous years, 94.4% of students in private schools attained the same results (The Independent 2012a). Following the recent recession, Social mobility has begun to decline and is lower today than it was thirty years ago. It is now less likely that a child of parents in a low-income bracket will rise to the top-income bracket than it was in

Australian universities house a diversified variety of racial and cultural backgrounds, from both domestic and international students. As seen in other universities around the world, such as the United States, and Canada, racial discrimination is an issue that is experienced by universities students, usually of immigrant and/or non-Caucasian descent (Beamon, 2014, pp. 121-34; Marchak, 1996, p. 6; Rich). Historically, Australia does not frame itself as being racially tolerant, with systematic racially discriminatory legal structures installed; British colonial settlement of Australia, white Australia policy (Cole, 2016, p. 134, 149), as well as movements such as Islamophobia and anti asylum-seeker discrimination and

One strong point that ‘The Diploma Divides’ makes is that the costs of a university are increasing and because of this, fewer low-income students choose to go. In ‘The Diploma Divide’, the author states, “The costs of attending a public university has risen 60 percent in the past two decades. Many low-income students, feeling the need to help out at home, are deterred by the thought of years and lost wages and piles of debt.”(pg.1) As a low-income student, I can definitely relate because when dealing with little money in the household, low-income kids do

Statistics show Indigenous students who live neither in reserve areas nor their community, have higher chances to obtain their diploma. In addition, for women, participating in club activities substantiate that they will be more encouraged to get their degree. (News Activist, 2017) In addition, one of the other causes is funding gap for Aboriginal students. According to FNCFCS (2011), students in reserve areas, obtain $2000 to $3000 less funding in each year rather that children in off-reserve areas.

In Australia, New Zealand, the United States and the United Kingdom, a student’s chances of academic success are greatly influenced by factors such as ‘ parental wealth, occupational status, education and aspirations’ (Argy, 2007:para3,

Regardless of the financial costs of education, statistics show in the years from 1983 to 1996 numbers of students in tertiary education doubled and retention rates within secondary schooling reached new heights, rising from 40.6% in 1983 to 71.3% in 1996 (Jamrozik, 2009), clearly placing education as a high value within the Australian society and becoming a lifetime pursuit for many people. However historically, the changes that have occurred over the years, have reinforced Australia’s problem with social inequalities within the education system.