tag:theconversation.com,2011:/id/topics/equity-1731/articlesEquity – The Conversation2024-03-25T12:40:21Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2225842024-03-25T12:40:21Z2024-03-25T12:40:21ZSchools can close summer learning gaps with these 4 strategies<p>When it comes to summer learning, the benefits are well documented. Students who consistently attend <a href="https://doi.org/10.7249/RR3201">well-planned, high-quality programs</a> achieve higher scores on math and language arts testing. They also earn higher ratings from teachers on their social and emotional skills, research shows. Unfortunately, research also shows that students from low-income and minority backgrounds are <a href="https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/25546/chapter/1">less likely to attend</a> – and benefit from – summer learning programs than their affluent and white peers.</p>
<p>Summer learning can play a crucial role in helping these students – and all kids – recover learning lost during the pandemic. The federal government has also acknowledged the importance of summer learning through its Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, or ESSER. The fund infused states with <a href="https://www.ncsl.org/in-dc/standing-committees/education/elementary-and-secondary-school-emergency-relief-fund-tracker">nearly US$190.5 billion</a>, with 20% allocated to <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/07/20/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-invests-in-summer-learning-and-enrichment-programs-to-help-students-catch-up/">academic recovery, including summer programs</a>.</p>
<p>So how can school districts capitalize on the crucial summer months and make learning more equitable? </p>
<p>In partnership with the <a href="http://www.wallacefoundation.org">Wallace Foundation</a> and the <a href="https://www.fhi360.org/projects/district-summer-learning-network">District Summer Learning Network</a> implemented by the nonprofit development organization FHI 360, our team at the <a href="https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/metrocenter/research-evaluation">Center for Policy, Research, and Evaluation</a> at <a href="https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/people/rhea-almeida">New York University</a> is studying how districts implement high-quality summer programs with an eye toward equity. We analyzed 2022 summer planning documents from 26 districts and identified four strategies they’re using to make the programs more equitable.</p>
<h2>1. Strategically target students</h2>
<p>Of the summer learning plans we analyzed, we found that half prioritized students who need academic or behavioral support. Additionally, 42% mentioned English-language learners, and 35% mentioned students with disabilities.</p>
<p>Other distinct groups included low-income students, migrants, racial and ethnic minorities and gifted and talented students. Among districts that prioritized special groups, almost all of them included more than one group in their strategic outreach. </p>
<p>Which students get served in summer learning programs, and how they are served, has implications for equity. For instance, research has found that <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/summer-learning-loss-what-is-it-and-what-can-we-do-about-it/">middle-income students often benefit more</a> from summer learning programs than lower-income students.</p>
<p>This could be because high-quality programs tend to serve higher-income students, which raises concerns that summer learning programs may actually increase the summer gap if they are not targeted. High-quality programs that target lower-income students and other minority students can move the needle toward equity.</p>
<h2>2. Reduce barriers to access</h2>
<p>For students to access programs outside of the regular school day in an equitable way, <a href="https://education.virginia.edu/documents/how-do-districts-implement-equity-afterschool-and-summer-programs">simple accommodations</a>, such as transportation, are key. </p>
<p>Several district summer learning plans we analyzed went above and beyond academics. They provided not just transportation but also free and nutritious meals, outreach material in different languages and extended day care services to support working families.</p>
<h2>3. Design courses for specific student populations</h2>
<p>Students learn best when they feel a sense of safety and belonging. By <a href="https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/summer-learning-creating-equity-report">affirming and nurturing</a> the unique identities of students, districts can make summer programming more equitable and accelerate learning. Research shows, for instance, that summer supports for <a href="https://www.nwea.org/research/publication/achievement-and-growth-for-english-learners/">English-language learners</a> are key for their overall academic development. </p>
<p>Some districts tailored their programming to the individual interests and cultural needs of their students. For example, three districts – in both urban and rural communities – provided language classes for English-language learners, including adults. </p>
<p>Another district designed an arts program for students to explore and celebrate their culture. The program featured programming around ethnic and racial identities. </p>
<p>Despite a shortage of teacher applicants across the country, some districts also made efforts to hire teachers who are not only effective and well credentialed but also reflect the demographics of the student body they serve. </p>
<h2>4. Engage families in planning and programming</h2>
<p>Some districts held regular family education sessions to provide updates about student needs and progress. Some also engaged families by offering information sessions on topics such as immigration and health.</p>
<p>Programs that include the whole family or community are particularly helpful for racially, ethnically and linguistically diverse populations and families in rural areas, where young people have <a href="https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/25546/chapter/7#145">limited access to adults</a> other than their caregivers. </p>
<p>When parents are included in the planning process, programs can be designed to better fit their schedules. This might mean districts offer full-day, six-week camps to support children throughout the summer while their parents work. This type of arrangement makes it more likely that kids will be able to attend summer programs – and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1086/499195">stave off summer learning loss</a>. </p>
<p>These four approaches help make summer learning programs more culturally responsive, accessible and inclusive. Over the next two years, our research will dive deeper into how districts strengthen equity-based practices and strategies to sustain them long term.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222584/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rhea Almeida does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>By targeting specific students, removing barriers and involving families and communities, school districts can make summer learning more accessible to students who need it.Rhea Almeida, Research Project Manager, NYU Metro Center, New York UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2170732024-03-21T12:22:54Z2024-03-21T12:22:54ZCalifornia is wrestling with electricity prices – here’s how to design a system that covers the cost of fixing the grid while keeping prices fair<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582593/original/file-20240318-22-5gynnv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C1492%2C995&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">As more homes like these in Folsom, Calif., add solar power, electricity pricing becomes more complicated.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/CaliforniaSolarPanels/cda216b3bcfe42e9bf425a353b24f812/photo">AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Small-scale solar power, also known as rooftop or distributed solar, has grown considerably in the U.S. over the <a href="https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=60341">past decade</a>. It provides electricity without emitting air pollutants or climate-warming greenhouse gases, and it meets local energy demand without requiring costly investments in transmission and distribution systems. </p>
<p>However, its expansion is making it harder for electric utilities and power grid managers to design fair and efficient retail electricity rates – the prices that households pay.</p>
<p>Under traditional electricity pricing, customers pay one charge per kilowatt-hour of electricity consumption that covers both the energy they use and the fixed costs of maintaining the grid. As more people adopt rooftop solar, they buy less energy from the grid. Fewer customers are left to shoulder utilities’ fixed costs, potentially making power more expensive for everyone. </p>
<p>This trend can drive more customers to leave the system and raise prices further – a scenario known as the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/energyinnovation/2017/09/25/three-ways-electric-utilities-can-avoid-a-death-spiral/?sh=46108d9b758d">utility death spiral</a>. One <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w25087">2018 study</a> calculated that two-thirds of recent electricity distribution cost increases at California’s three investor-owned utilities were associated with the growth of residential solar. </p>
<p>With abundant sun and solar-friendly policies, California has <a href="https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=60341#:%7E:text=We%20estimate%20that%20the%20United,MW">36% of U.S. small-scale solar capacity</a>, much more than any other state. And the state is engaged in a heated debate over <a href="https://calmatters.org/california-divide/2023/07/electricity-bills/">pricing electricity</a> in ways designed to make energy less expensive for low-income households. </p>
<p>We study <a href="https://engineering.purdue.edu/Intel2Grid">energy markets</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=nKvcnXMAAAAJ&hl=en">public policy affecting energy and the environment</a>, and have analyzed various <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10177234">retail electricity rate structures</a> and their economic impacts on power producers and consumers. Our key finding is that an income-based, fixed-charge rate structure of the type that California is currently considering offers the most efficient and equitable solution – if it is designed correctly.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_nT8Vld_uxQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The California Legislature approved fixed-rate electricity charges, based on income, in 2022. Now, state utility regulators are weighing a proposal that would formalize them.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Two-part power bills</h2>
<p>The debate over fixed charges began in 2022, when the California Legislature <a href="https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/utilities/bill-would-end-california-experiment-with-income-based-electric-bills">enacted an energy bill</a> that ordered state regulators to study income-based fixed charges and decide whether to adopt them by July 1, 2024. Then the state’s three largest utilities – Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas and Electric, and San Diego Gas & Electric – <a href="https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/-/media/cpuc-website/divisions/energy-division/documents/demand-response/demand-response-workshops/advanced-der---demand-flexibility-management/joint-ious-opening-testimony-exhibit-1.pdf">submitted a proposal</a> to the state Public Utilities Commission in mid-2023 that would separate retail bills into two parts: a fixed charge and a variable charge. </p>
<p>The fixed charge would be a preset monthly fee, independent of energy usage but tied to income levels, so wealthier customers would <a href="https://calmatters.org/commentary/2024/02/utility-bills-reform-income-based/">pay a larger share of grid maintenance costs</a>. The variable charge would be based on the amount of electricity consumed and would cover the actual costs of electricity production and delivery. </p>
<p>Historically, these actual costs have typically ranged between <a href="http://www.caiso.com/documents/2022-annual-report-on-market-issues-and-performance-jul-11-2023.pdf">4 to 6 cents per kilowatt-hour</a>. Today, the average residential rate in California <a href="http://www.caiso.com/documents/2022-annual-report-on-market-issues-and-performance-jul-11-2023.pdf">often exceeds 30 cents per kilowatt-hour</a> because it covers fixed costs as well as electricity use.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582626/original/file-20240318-26-e7mz10.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A white utility truck drives toward a transformer tower framed by hills." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582626/original/file-20240318-26-e7mz10.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582626/original/file-20240318-26-e7mz10.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582626/original/file-20240318-26-e7mz10.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582626/original/file-20240318-26-e7mz10.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582626/original/file-20240318-26-e7mz10.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582626/original/file-20240318-26-e7mz10.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582626/original/file-20240318-26-e7mz10.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A Southern California Edison truck at a transformer tower in Sylmar, Calif. California utilities are burying thousands of miles of power lines in an effort to prevent a fraying grid from sparking wildfires.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/CaliforniaWildfiresUtility/65c4885a6bde436d9126f7b12b9d8959/photo">AP Photo/Christian Monterrosa</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Who benefits?</h2>
<p>A two-part billing system that separates fixed costs from variable usage charges offers potential benefits for both consumers and utilities.</p>
<p>For utilities, the fixed charge offers a stable revenue stream. The companies know how many households they serve, and they can plan on the fixed amounts that those households will pay each month. Households that go solar would still pay the fixed charge, since most of them draw electricity from the grid when the sun doesn’t shine. </p>
<p>This approach provides financial stability for the utility and access to the grid for all. Consumers would benefit because with a certain amount of income guaranteed, utilities could charge significantly less per kilowatt-hour for the actual electricity that households use. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/C1NgtK5O9lO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link\u0026igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<p>One significant concern is that if electricity costs less, people may use more of it, which could undermine efforts toward energy conservation and lead to an increase in emissions. In our view, the way to address this risk is by fine-tuning the two-part billing structure so that it covers only a portion of the utilities’ costs through fixed charges and incorporates the rest into the variable usage rates. </p>
<p>Put another way, combining a lower fixed charge with a higher variable charge would ensure that utilities can still cover their fixed costs effectively, while encouraging mindful energy use among consumers. Ensuring affordable electricity for consumers, fair cost recovery for utilities and overall fairness and efficiency in the energy market requires striking a delicate balance.</p>
<p>Another argument from critics, often labeled “<a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3GDHaOJeIp/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==">energy socialism</a>,” asserts that higher-income households might end up <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/06/california-income-based-electricity-fees-2025">subsidizing excessive electricity use</a> by lower-income households under the income-based rate structure. In our view, this perception is inaccurate. </p>
<p>Wealthy households would pay more to maintain the grid, via larger fixed charges, than poorer households, but would not subsidize lower-income households’ energy use. All income groups would pay the same rate for each additional kilowatt-hour of electricity that they use. Decisions on energy use would remain economically driven, regardless of consumers’ income level. </p>
<p><iframe id="WCZvM" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/WCZvM/1/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>Fixed fees are too big</h2>
<p>While our research supports California utilities’ approach in principle, we believe their proposal has shortcomings – notably in the proposed income brackets. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2023/06/20/california-electricity-bills-income-based/70331875007/">As currently framed</a>, households with annual incomes between US$28,000 and $69,000 would pay a fixed fee of $20 to $34 per month. Households earning between $69,000 and $180,000 would pay $51 to $73 per month, and those earning more than $180,000 would pay $85 to $128. </p>
<p>The middle-income bracket starts just above California’s <a href="https://statisticalatlas.com/state/California/Household-Income">median household income</a>. Consequently, nearly half of all California households could find themselves paying a substantial monthly fee – $51 to $73 – regardless of their actual electricity usage. </p>
<p>It could be hard to convince consumers to pay significant fixed fees for intangible services, especially middle-income residents who have either gone solar or may do so. Not surprisingly, the proposal has encountered considerable <a href="https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2023/05/08/the-income-graduated-fixed-charges-in-california-will-harm-customers-with-low-electric-bills/">pushback from the solar industry</a>. </p>
<h2>Finding the sweet spot</h2>
<p>In response to public outcry, California lawmakers recently introduced <a href="https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB1999/id/2908602">Assembly Bill 1999</a>, which would replace the income-graduated fixed-charge requirement with fixed charges of $5 per month for low-income customers and up to $10 per month for others. In our view, this reaction goes too far in the other direction. </p>
<p>Capping fixed charges at such low levels would force utilities to hike their energy use rates to cover fixed costs – again, risking the death spiral scenario. Our research indicates that there is a <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10177234">range for the fixed charge</a> that would cover a reasonable share of utilities’ fixed costs, but is not high enough to burden consumers.</p>
<p>Without utility cost data, we can’t pinpoint this range precisely. However, based on <a href="https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M520/K533/520533300.PDF">estimates of utilities’ costs</a>, we believe the caps proposed in AB 1999 are too low and could end up unfairly burdening those the bill aims to protect.</p>
<p>In our research, based on a hypothetical case study, we found a sweet spot in which fixed charges cover about 40% of utilities’ fixed costs. Charges at this level provide maximum benefit to consumers, although they reduce energy producers’ profits. </p>
<p>Our findings are similar to an <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10177234">alternative proposal</a> jointly presented by <a href="https://www.turn.org/">The Utility Reform Network</a>, a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization, and the <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/">Natural Resources Defense Council</a>, an environmental advocacy group. This plan suggests a two-part rate structure with an average fixed charge of about $36 per month. Low-income households would pay $5 per month, and those earning over $150,000 yearly would pay about $62.</p>
<p>We believe this proposal moves in the right direction by ensuring fair contributions to grid costs, while also encouraging efficient energy use and investment in clean energy infrastructure. It could act as a guide for other U.S. states searching for methods to balance utility fixed-cost recovery with fair pricing and continued growth of small-scale solar power.</p>
<p><em>This article has been updated to remove unsubstantiated information about the 2019 Saddleridge wildfire in California provided by AP in a photo caption.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217073/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>California is considering a controversial proposal for utilities to charge customers for electricity based partly on household income. Two scholars explain how this approach could benefit everyone.Yihsu Chen, Professor of Technology Management in Sustainability, University of California, Santa CruzAndrew L. Liu, Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering, Purdue UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2224652024-03-03T14:27:50Z2024-03-03T14:27:50ZNavigating special education labels is complex, and it matters for education equity<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578488/original/file-20240228-24-s7p4c5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=10%2C87%2C3631%2C2583&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Racialized immigrant parents in a study had to find ways to navigate the education system as newcomers, while also addressing intended and unintended effects of special education programs for their children.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Mche Lee/Unsplash)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Ontario Ministry of Education’s <a href="https://files.ontario.ca/edu-special-education-policy-resource-guide-en-2022-05-30.pdf">special education policy and resource guide</a> provides instructions <a href="https://www.ontario.ca/document/special-education-ontario-policy-and-resource-guide-kindergarten-grade-12">to school boards and schools</a> on administering special education programs. </p>
<p>It also emphasizes the importance of education equity, and involving parents in special education designations. </p>
<p>As researchers, we explored the rights of Latin American and Black Caribbean youth when it comes to special education in our project: the <a href="https://rcypartnership.org/en/">Rights for Children and Youth Partnership</a>. </p>
<p>To better understand newcomer experiences, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2023.2255837">we interviewed</a> 32 parents, 12 of whom indicated having a first-hand experience with special education in Ontario schools.</p>
<p>We learned that despite the special education policy’s commitment to involving parents, many parents felt excluded from decision-making processes surrounding assessments for their child’s learning needs, and faced language barriers. </p>
<h2>Identifying need for special education</h2>
<p>In Ontario, students presenting learning needs may be identified as exceptional within one or more special education categories. These categories are intended to address conditions affecting their learning. </p>
<p>Special education can benefit students to ensure an equitable educational experience. However, <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1277996.pdf">researchers have also raised concerns</a> about the efficacy of special education programs for equitable learning because of how <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2016.1248821">social factors such as racism and classism result in discriminatory framings of disability and the perception of special needs</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/too-busy-for-the-pta-but-working-class-parents-care-104386">Too busy for the PTA, but working-class parents care</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<p>In Ontario’s largest school boards, Black and Latin American youth have been disproportionately <a href="https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Portals/research/docs/reports/Intersection%20of%20Disability%20Achievement%20and%20Equity.pdf">placed in special education programs</a>, compared to students in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904818813303">other racial-ethnic groupings</a>. </p>
<p>Research from the Peel District School board, serving the western Greater Toronto Area, reports <a href="https://www.peelschools.org/documents/16.2b_Directive9-EquityAccountabilityReportCard-UnderstandingtheEquityGapinSpecialEducation.pdf/16.2b_Directive9-EquityAccountabilityReportCard-UnderstandingtheEquityGapinSpecialEducation.pdf">Black students are three times more likely to be identified with a behavioural exceptionality</a> and streamed into special education programming. </p>
<p>Similarly, <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/i-was-very-isolated-report-documents-hispanic-students-alienation-in-ontario/article_21d6d9fd-1b13-57c3-8f26-94d545a80556.html">Latin American youth have reported arbitrarily being placed in English as a Second Language courses</a> and labelled with communicational exceptionalities, despite proficiency in English. These labels carry <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904818812772">long-lasting impacts on their educational journey</a>.</p>
<h2>Complex special education processes</h2>
<p>In Ontario, the special education placement process is complex and can include many parties (like teachers, principals, special education staff, school board officers, parents or guardians and, if requested, interpreters).</p>
<p>These parties engage in consultations to evaluate the student’s learning needs. Assessments are then reviewed by a board’s <a href="https://www.ontario.ca/page/identifying-students-special-education-needs">Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC)</a>, consisting of at least three members, one of whom must be a principal or supervisory officer of the school board.</p>
<p>According to the guide, educators should encourage and invite parents to participate throughout this evaluation process and the IPRC meeting, though their attendance isn’t required. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A blurred person seen in a corridor of file folders and records on shelves." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574794/original/file-20240211-26-iklod6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574794/original/file-20240211-26-iklod6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574794/original/file-20240211-26-iklod6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574794/original/file-20240211-26-iklod6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574794/original/file-20240211-26-iklod6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574794/original/file-20240211-26-iklod6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574794/original/file-20240211-26-iklod6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Special education labels and categorizations are documented in student records.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Unsplash/Redd F)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Lack of required parental input</h2>
<p>Parents are, however, required to sign and agree to the IPRC’s statement of decision. They have a right to appeal the findings, and are given 30 days. If parents don’t appeal, the board instructs the principal to implement the committee’s decision, including <a href="https://www.ontario.ca/page/individual-education-plans">individual education plans (IEP)</a>. </p>
<p>The child’s provincial student record documents the outcomes of the decision, including the various labels, or “exceptionalities” identified, and the IEP. These records follow students throughout primary and secondary education.</p>
<p>Lack of required parental input throughout the process indicates that early on, educators alone can make decisions involving a child. </p>
<h2>Language barriers</h2>
<p>In our study, one parent, Mariela, described the challenges of learning a new educational system. This was compounded by the technical language educators used: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“The language that is used is very strategic. It’s language that doesn’t welcome parents’ feedback [and] parents don’t know they have the option to say no. […] It’s like, ‘This is what happens; this is what we do. We need you to sign this.’ And that’s the language; it isn’t welcoming for parents to ask [questions].”</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Specialized language</h2>
<p>Parents also recognized that a sense of pressure to accept educators’ decisions was discriminatory based on their limited abilities to keep up with the discourse and to have input in decision-making. Scarlett described feeling intimidated:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“It was always so traumatic and intimidating dealing with the school; it would be me and five school officials, you know? […] It’s like, you’re coming into this space, and decisions may already have been made.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Scarlett’s son was identified as having behavioural issues as early as Grade 2. She insisted her son be tested for gifted learning, recognizing that he was experiencing behaviour difficulties because he was bored and not being academically challenged. </p>
<p>Her son was not placed in a gifted class until Grade 7. During what she called “lost time,” the school involved the police in instances when he was “acting out,” and recommended her son be sent to a treatment facility for high-risk youth.</p>
<h2>Pressure to accept decisions</h2>
<p>Special education meetings also illuminated imbalances we observed in our study between parents who understood they had the right to ask for an interpreter or bring a representative — and parents who were unaware of this. </p>
<p>Claudia voiced concern about a special education label for her son in elementary school, saying educators had mistaken his speech difficulties for low intelligence. She was told her son’s speech delay would impact his ability to go to college or university.</p>
<p>She later recalled learning about her right to bring someone with her to IPRC meetings. She detailed the impact of having her son’s daycare supervisor there with her, saying: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I wanted to bring that person to support [me], probably for emotional support, for the English support, for the systematic barrier that I knew that I could face.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p>With the support of someone who educators also considered an “expert,” Claudia withdrew her son from special education programs — and instead sought additional support outside the school system.</p>
<p>Notably, only a few parents mentioned knowing their right to bring someone to the meetings, and all said the information came from sources outside the education system.</p>
<h2>Lack of guidance</h2>
<p>The Toronto District School Board has made the effort to increase access to parents’ rights to special education, offering the <a href="https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Learning-Equity-and-Well-Being/Special-Education-and-Inclusion/Parent-Guides-to-Special-Education-and-Inclusion"><em>Guide to Special Education and Inclusion for Parents/Caregivers/Guardians</em></a> in various languages.</p>
<p>However, for immigrant parents in our study who had no prior experience in Ontario’s schooling system, the lack of concrete information about their rights was a barrier to them being true participants in decision-making. </p>
<p>System accountability is needed to ensure immigrant racialized students and families are effectively provided support and understand the special education process. This support must be tailored to better address the needs of parents, so that their children are equitably positioned for successful academic pathways.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222465/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Henry Parada: This study received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC- 895-2015-1014). Toronto Metropolitan University Ethics Committee approved this study (2018-200).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Laura Perez Gonzalez and Veronica Escobar Olivo do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A study of newcomer Latin American and Black Caribbean parents in Ontario schools found many parents felt excluded from processes surrounding assessments for their child’s learning needs.Laura Perez Gonzalez, Research Assistant, School of Social Work, Toronto Metropolitan UniversityHenry Parada, Professor, Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Social Work and the Immigration and Settlement (ISS) Graduate Program and Graduate Program Director, Toronto Metropolitan UniversityVeronica Escobar Olivo, Research Associate, School of Social Work, Toronto Metropolitan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2243122024-02-27T12:32:52Z2024-02-27T12:32:52ZE-bike incentives are a costly way to cut carbon emissions, but they also promote health, equity and cleaner air<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577761/original/file-20240225-22-nb9e6p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C15%2C5019%2C2916&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A man pulls his kids behind an electric bicycle near the pier in Huntington Beach, Calif.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/man-pulls-his-kids-behind-an-electric-bicycle-near-the-pier-news-photo/1311180585">Paul Bersebach/Orange County Register via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>E-bikes have captured <a href="https://velo.outsideonline.com/ebike/ebike-gear/5-e-bike-trends-we-expect-to-see-in-2024/">widespread attention</a> across the U.S., and for good reason. They are <a href="https://cleantechnica.com/2023/12/11/e-bikes-are-radically-more-efficient-than-electric-cars/">the most energy-efficient way</a> to move from place to place, providing exercise in the process, and offer enough assistance while pedaling uphill or into headwinds to make them usable for many types of riders. </p>
<p>Greenhouse gas emissions from e-bikes are much lower than those from either gasoline-powered or <a href="https://www.itf-oecd.org/good-go-assessing-environmental-performance-new-mobility">electric cars</a>. Some cities and states are encouraging the use of e-bikes by providing purchase incentives, often drawing on public funds dedicated to curbing climate change.</p>
<p>Currently, over 100 cities and states <a href="https://trec.pdx.edu/news/e-bike-incentive-programs-north-america-new-online-tracker">have or plan to launch e-bike incentive programs</a>, most funded by energy or environment initiatives. However, there has been little research on the effectiveness of these types of programs, how to design them or how to define goals. </p>
<p>We study transportation from many angles, including <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=I3wi1-EAAAAJ&hl=en">innovation</a>, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/John-Macarthur-4">sustainability</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=JltA3IAAAAAJ&hl=en">economics</a>. Our new study, published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2024.104114">Transportation Research Part D</a>, investigates the effectiveness of several types of e-bike purchase incentives and the investment required to induce additional e-bike purchases. </p>
<p>We found that incentives do spur extra e-bike purchases, but at a relatively high cost compared with narrowly defined climate benefits. We find that a public agency using a point-of-purchase discount would have to distribute about US$4,000 in incentives to generate one additional e-bike purchase. This is because over 80% of people who buy an e-bike would likely have bought one even without the discount. For perspective, it takes <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeem.2017.01.002">about $30,000 worth of incentives</a> to induce an electric car purchase. </p>
<figure>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">California initiated a $10 million statewide program in 2023 that offers voucher incentives to low-income residents for purchasing electric bikes.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Nonetheless, e-bikes provide many other benefits. They make mobility easier and more affordable for many people, including <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2023.100940">older adults and people with disabilities</a>. They bolster the case for <a href="https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/cost-benefit-of-bicycle-infrastructure-with-e-bikes-and-cycle-sup">investing in bike paths and infrastructure</a>, which produce <a href="https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/why-us-cities-are-investing-safer-more-connected-cycling-infrastructure">economic, safety and mobility benefits for cities</a>. And they <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2017.06.002">boost health by promoting exercise</a>. In our view, cities and states should assess e-bike incentive investments based on this broad range of benefits, rather than focusing solely on a narrow environmental objective.</p>
<h2>Not just a climate tool</h2>
<p>Clean technology incentives tend to be focused on a specific outcome – usually, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This works well for most energy-related upgrades, such as replacing old air conditioners, improving home insulation and generating electricity from wind and solar power. Consumers want the services that these devices deliver – cool air, comfortable conditions indoors and electricity that’s available and affordable. The new devices simply deliver those familiar goods more sustainably. </p>
<p>E-bike incentives are different. They invite people to adopt a new technology that can fundamentally change recipients’ travel patterns. In fact, while replacing car trips with e-bike trips <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2020.102482">can provide substantial climate benefits</a>, those benefits may be smaller than other benefits that are less widely measured. Focusing narrowly on reducing greenhouse gas emissions by replacing car trips means providing incentives to people who drive the most, or who drive the biggest gas guzzlers.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/C3lJZJpp8jH/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<p>But what about carless households, transit riders or bicyclists? For them, e-bikes can make it much easier to travel in most North American cities. That increased mobility could provide greater access to jobs, shopping or other important services, such as health care.</p>
<h2>Is investing in e-bike incentives worth it?</h2>
<p>Transportation is the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions">largest source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions</a>. Electrifying as much of it as possible is an important strategy for slowing climate change. However, e-bike incentives – and, indeed, electric car incentives – are pretty expensive ways to reduce emissions. </p>
<p>The importance of e-bike incentives is that e-bikes are good at replacing car trips and make daily trips easier for people who rely on other options. These advantages provide two main classes of benefits from increasing ownership of e-bikes.</p>
<p>The first set of benefits comes from substituting car-based trips with e-bike trips. Transportation researchers think about a swap like this in terms of vehicle miles traveled.</p>
<p>If I used to drive to work but now ride an e-bike, many benefits will be proportional to the number of miles that I now cover by bike rather than by car. They include reduced traffic congestion, lower fuel and parking costs, increased physical activity and improved health, cleaner air and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. In North America, <a href="https://nitc.trec.pdx.edu/research/project/1041">about 60% of e-bike trips replace car trips</a>. </p>
<p>A second class of benefits comes from improvements in mobility. These effects are more complex to measure. For many people in U.S. cities who don’t own cars, the basic options for getting around are walking, public transit, ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft, or riding a conventional bicycle. In almost all cases, e-bikes would get them to their destinations faster. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">A father explains how his family used electric cargo bikes to replace a car in Toronto and the Netherlands.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Carless households <a href="https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/63059">tend to have lower income</a> and lack mobility options. E-bike incentives can make travel more affordable and give people better access to jobs, health care, child care, shopping and other destinations. Such benefits likely far exceed any nominal greenhouse gas accounting from these transportation users. </p>
<p>E-bike purchase incentives are an investment in the broad benefits that e-bikes can provide. We believe they should be measured against the collective goals of the agency providing the incentives, whether its mission is transportation, equitable mobility, public health, economic development or environmental protection. </p>
<h2>Putting more people on two wheels</h2>
<p>Once there’s agreement that e-bikes are worth supporting for many reasons, the challenge is how to induce more e-bike use and realize those benefits.</p>
<p>Point-of-purchase discounts or vouchers are the most popular strategy, because they mimic other clean energy incentives, such as those for high-efficiency appliances or electric cars. Our study found that they are also the most efficient way to influence consumer behavior compared with other purchase incentives, such as rebates. </p>
<p>Other strategies could be more effective but need further research. For example, <a href="https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/bike-libraries-are-increasing-access-to-bikes-across-america">e-bike lending libraries</a> let people test-ride e-bikes without ownership. And employers can <a href="https://transweb.sjsu.edu/sites/default/files/2051-Fitch-Ebike-Employer.pdf">provide e-bikes to employees</a> to help encourage more sustainable and affordable ways to get to work. </p>
<p>Partnering with community organizations or local mobility-oriented programs could be an effective way to get e-bikes into the hands of people who need them and couldn’t afford them otherwise. And giving e-bike owners more reason to use them, such as <a href="https://momentummag.com/is-it-time-governments-start-paying-people-to-bike-to-work/">payments for biking to work</a>, could increase e-bike use and subsequent benefits. </p>
<p>E-bike purchase incentives may be an expensive climate solution, but they also offer other important benefits. Carefully designed incentive programs could help many urban and suburban residents access a faster, healthier and cleaner way to get where they need to go.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224312/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christopher R. Cherry receives research funding from State and Federal Departments of Transportation and the National Science Foundation. He has consulted for micromobility operators and bicycling advocacy organizations.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>John MacArthur has received research support and funding from state and federal agencies, the National Science Foundation, micromobility operators and bicycling advocacy organizations.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Luke Jones does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Many incentive programs promote e-bike use, but they aren’t necessarily targeting the right people for the right reasons.Christopher R. Cherry, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of TennesseeJohn MacArthur, Sustainable Transportation Program Manager, Transportation Research and Education Center, Portland State UniversityLuke Jones, Professor of Economics, Valdosta State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2242482024-02-24T13:03:47Z2024-02-24T13:03:47ZUniversities Accord: the final report mentions ‘equity’ 200 times, but can it boost access for underrepresented groups?<p><em>The federal government has released the final report on a Universities Accord. Taking more than a year to prepare, it is billed as a “blueprint” for reform for the next decade and beyond. It contains 47 recommendations across student fees, wellbeing, funding, teaching, research and university governance. You can find the rest of our accord coverage <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/universities-accord-121839">here</a>.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>Equity has been an ongoing theme in Australian higher education policy for decades. Beginning with the Whitlam government in 1972, equity has often been viewed as a major challenge or “<a href="https://theconversation.com/wicked-problems-and-how-to-solve-them-100047">wicked problem</a>” that needs solving. </p>
<p>It’s also been at the forefront of discussions about the Universities Accord, with “access and opportunity” for underrepresented groups highlighted in the review’s <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/australian-universities-accord/resources/terms-reference">terms of reference</a>. </p>
<p>So it’s not surprising to see equity feature prominently in the final report. In fact, “equity” is mentioned more than 200 times. But does it live up to its promise to improve access to education for all Australians? </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/i-would-like-to-go-to-university-flexi-school-students-share-their-goals-in-australia-first-survey-193396">'I would like to go to university': flexi school students share their goals in Australia-first survey</a>
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</p>
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<h2>What do we mean by equity?</h2>
<p>The accord report continues the tradition of many <a href="https://www.voced.edu.au/content/ngv%3A2270">previous federal government policies</a> by defining equity as “parity” or “proportional representation”. This means the major goal is for the university student population to reflect more closely the demographic composition of Australian society.</p>
<p>For example, Australians from low socio-economic status backgrounds currently make up around 17% of enrolments in higher education but 25% of the broader Australian population. So the aim here would be to have participation rates closer to, if not at, 25%. The other key target groups are First Nations peoples, people living in regional and remote areas, and people with a disability.</p>
<p>At face value, this a noble pursuit. Expanding access to higher education helps expand opportunities for all Australians and can lead to more diverse voices in professions and public life.</p>
<p>But this is not necessarily the accord’s rationale. The report notes we need to increase enrolments from underrepresented groups to increase the number of skilled workers. As such, we end up with phrases in the final report such as “growth through equity” and “skills through equity”. </p>
<p>So it downplays the importance of equity as a genuine concern in its own right.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A chart of the participation rates of domestic under-represented student cohorts" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577697/original/file-20240224-18-jwdc96.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577697/original/file-20240224-18-jwdc96.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577697/original/file-20240224-18-jwdc96.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577697/original/file-20240224-18-jwdc96.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577697/original/file-20240224-18-jwdc96.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577697/original/file-20240224-18-jwdc96.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577697/original/file-20240224-18-jwdc96.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Australian Universities Accord.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.education.gov.au/higher-education-statistics/resources/2022-section-11-equity-groups">Department of Education</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>‘Lack of aspiration’ isn’t a problem</h2>
<p>Both sides of Australians politics have long used the language of “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/may/30/lets-talk-about-aspiration-anthony-albanese-says-labor-must-learn-from-mistakes">aspiration</a>” to suggest anybody can have a good life, as long as they just “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/may/12/liberal-campaign-launch-morrison-makes-election-pitch-with-first-home-scheme">get on with things</a>” and try hard enough. </p>
<p>In 2008, <a href="https://www.voced.edu.au/content/ngv%3A32134">the Bradley Review</a> (the previous broad review of higher education in Australia) similarly argued one of the main barriers to increasing the enrolment of underrepresented groups was a lack of aspiration. </p>
<p>There is a <a href="https://www.newcastle.edu.au/research/centre/teachers-and-teaching/aspirations-and-equity">large body of Australian research</a> demonstrating aspiration is not the problem it has been made out to be – many young people from all different kinds of backgrounds aspire to go to university. Nevertheless, the accord continues to talk about “increasing aspiration” and “building aspiration” as a strategy for facilitating access to higher education. </p>
<p>The accord proposes access to higher education can be improved, in part, by strengthening careers advice in schools and enhancing familiarity with university through outreach programs. </p>
<p>These are important for <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13384-020-00428-2">students who are the first in their family</a> to go to university, as they are often complete “newcomers” to higher education. But we need to move beyond seeing aspiration as a problem to be fixed.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-would-you-go-to-uni-a-new-study-looks-at-what-young-australians-do-after-school-200073">'Why would you go to uni?' A new study looks at what young Australians do after school</a>
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</p>
<hr>
<h2>What can make a difference?</h2>
<p>Despite these limitations, the accord does propose a “whole of student” approach to raising university attainment levels (from how students learn to how they are financially supported), noting it’s not enough simply to enrol disadvantaged students “hoping they succeed”. </p>
<p>A number of practical recommendations likely to make a positive difference to students at various stages in their university journey include:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>a significant increase in the availability of fee-free places in preparation or <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-are-enabling-programs-how-do-they-help-australians-get-to-uni-210269">enabling programs</a>, which prepare students for university study</p></li>
<li><p>government financial support for <a href="https://theconversation.com/it-is-impossible-for-me-to-be-unpaid-3-ways-to-fix-student-work-placements-213151">compulsory work placements</a> in teaching, nursing and other care-related fields</p></li>
<li><p>a new national “Jobs Broker” to help students find appropriate part-time employment during their studies</p></li>
<li><p>abolishing the Job-Ready Graduates scheme for fees, so student contributions are based on potential lifetime earnings.</p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Rows of empty chairs in a theatre." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577702/original/file-20240224-20-6xldhr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577702/original/file-20240224-20-6xldhr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577702/original/file-20240224-20-6xldhr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577702/original/file-20240224-20-6xldhr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577702/original/file-20240224-20-6xldhr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577702/original/file-20240224-20-6xldhr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577702/original/file-20240224-20-6xldhr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">The Universities Accord report recommends a change to course fees as well as more academic and financial support for students.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/empty-chairs-in-theater-ewGMqs2tmJI">Nathan Dumlao/ Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/these-5-equity-ideas-should-be-at-the-heart-of-the-universities-accord-203418">These 5 equity ideas should be at the heart of the Universities Accord</a>
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<h2>Beyond ‘bums on seats’</h2>
<p>While these measures are welcome, we know there are <a href="https://andrewnorton.net.au/2023/08/21/the-accord-equity-target-that-cannot-and-perhaps-should-not-be-achieved/comment-page-1/">longstanding challenges</a> to getting underrepresented groups into university, including improving academic outcomes during school. Cost-of-living pressures may also continue to make university study a challenge, despite increases in government help. </p>
<p>But even if targets are reached, achieving parity for underrepresented groups does not necessarily make higher education equitable.</p>
<p>Equity is much more than physical presence or getting bums on seats. We also need to think about what students are accessing, how they are supported, and how universities ultimately value and include them.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224248/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sally Patfield currently receives funding from the NSW Department of Education, Commonwealth Department of Education, and the Paul Ramsay Foundation.</span></em></p>Equity has been front and centre of the Universities Accord. But it means more than just increasing ‘bums on seats’ in higher education.Sally Patfield, Lecturer, Teachers and Teaching Research Centre, School of Education, University of NewcastleLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2176952024-01-31T15:25:55Z2024-01-31T15:25:55ZSouth African marriage ruling is a win for divorcees and surviving spouses: it guides the sharing of their assets<p>South Africa’s Constitutional Court has fundamentally changed the country’s marriage law, making it fairer to people who are married “out of community of property” when their marriages end. In these marriages, the estates of spouses are kept separate. They do not combine what they own into a joint estate. </p>
<p>The change applies to people who got married after 1 November 1984 when their marriages end in divorce; or who got married before or after 1 November 1984 and whose marriages end in death. </p>
<p>The apex court’s judgment of 10 October 2023, in the case of <a href="https://www.saflii.org/za/cases/ZACC/2023/32.html">EB v ER</a>, will benefit spouses, mainly wives, who find themselves in financially vulnerable positions when their marriages out of community of property without accrual end in divorce or death. This includes stay-at-home mothers, who take care of the family home or raise the children full time. Their non-financial contributions to the marriage, including unpaid labour in the home, are now valued as much as any financial contributions to the marriage.</p>
<p>Before 1 November 1984, there were only two legally recognised matrimonial property regimes applicable to marriages in South Africa. They were marriages in community of property and out of community of property. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.justice.gov.za/legislation/acts/1984-088.pdf">Marriages in community of property</a> are those in which the estates of both spouses are combined. When the marriage ends through divorce or death, the parties each have a 50% claim against the joint estate.</p>
<p>In the case of the <a href="https://www.justice.gov.za/legislation/acts/1984-088.pdf">out of community of property regime</a>, the estates of the spouses are at all times kept separate. Neither spouse has a claim against the other spouse’s estate even if they contribute to the maintenance or growth of the other’s estate.</p>
<h2>The change</h2>
<p>On 1 November 1984, the <a href="https://www.justice.gov.za/legislation/acts/1984-088.pdf">Matrimonial Property Act 88 of 1984</a> entered into force. It introduced a third matrimonial property regime: the accrual system. </p>
<p>The accrual system allows spouses who are married out of community of property to share in the growth of each other’s estates while still maintaining their separate estates.</p>
<p>Both spouses retain separate estates when they enter the marriage and during the marriage. At the end of the marriage through divorce or death, the spouse with the smaller accrual or no accrual has a claim against the spouse with the bigger accrual. The claim is for an amount equal to half of the difference between the accrual of the respective estates of the spouses. </p>
<p>For example, a wife and husband each enter the marriage with R1,000. At the time that they are married, both spouses are working. During the marriage, they decide that the wife should stay at home and take care of the house and children while the husband will continue working and be the breadwinner of the family. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/south-africas-new-marriage-bill-raises-many-thorny-issues-a-balancing-act-is-needed-210343">South Africa's new Marriage Bill raises many thorny issues - a balancing act is needed</a>
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<p>Suppose that at the end of the marriage, the wife’s estate is valued as R3,000 and the husband’s estate is valued as R10,000. The accrual in the wife’s estate is R2,000. The accrual in the husband’s estate is R9,000. Half the difference between the accrual of the spouses’ estates is R3,500 (R9,000 minus R2,000 equals R7,000, divided by two equals R3,500.) Since the wife’s accrual is smaller than her husband’s accrual, she has a claim of R3,500 against her husband’s estate.</p>
<p>The above crude example illustrates that even though it may not have been intended, the out of community of property with accrual regime recognises that even though parties retain separate estates during the marriage, they may contribute indirectly to the maintenance or growth of each other’s estates, like the wife did through her unpaid labour in the home.</p>
<h2>The judgment</h2>
<p>When the accrual regime was created, section 7(3) of the 1979 <a href="https://www.justice.gov.za/legislation/acts/1979-070.pdf">Divorce Act</a> was amended to allow spouses who were married out of community of property before 1 November 1984 (who therefore did not have the option of accrual), and who were undergoing a divorce, to apply to a divorce court for a redistribution order. </p>
<p>Through a redistribution order, a court can transfer the assets of one spouse to the other spouse if it is just and equitable to do so. This applies in instances where one spouse contributes directly or indirectly to the maintenance or growth of the other spouse’s estate including through the rendering of services. </p>
<p>In its judgment of 10 October 2023, the Constitutional Court found section 7(3) of the <a href="https://www.justice.gov.za/legislation/acts/1979-070.pdf">Divorce Act</a>, among others, to be unconstitutional and invalid to the extent that it did not include a) spouses who were married out of community of property without accrual after 1 November 1984 if the marriages were dissolved through divorce, and b) spouses who were married out of community of property without accrual before or after 1 November 1984 whose marriages ended through death. </p>
<p>These parties could not claim a redistribution order if they contributed to the maintenance or growth of their spouse’s estate.</p>
<h2>Significance of the judgment</h2>
<p>The court’s judgment will provide much needed financial relief to spouses whose marriages out of community of property without accrual end regardless of when the parties were married or how the marriage ended. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/south-africas-courts-and-lawmakers-have-failed-the-ideal-of-cultural-diversity-91508">South Africa's courts and lawmakers have failed the ideal of cultural diversity</a>
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<p>The judgment will also benefit spouses in Muslim marriages. These were legally recognised when the Constitutional Court, in a <a href="https://www.saflii.org/za/cases/ZACC/2022/23.html">2022 case</a>, Women’s Legal Centre Trust v President of the Republic of South Africa, declared that the common law definition of marriage and section 7(3) of the Divorce Act, among others, were unconstitutional to the extent that they did not include Muslim marriages. Now, spouses in Muslim marriages that are out of community of property without accrual, which dissolve through divorce or death, may apply to court for a redistribution order to transfer the assets from one spouse’s estate to the other.</p>
<h2>Next steps</h2>
<p>The advisory committee of the South African Law Reform Commission Project 100E on the Review of Aspects of <a href="https://www.justice.gov.za/salrc/dpapers/dp160-prj100E-ReviewMatrimonialPropertyLaw.pdf">Matrimonial Property Law</a> is reviewing existing laws that deal with matrimonial property regimes.</p>
<p>In light of the Constitutional Court judgments in the Muslim marriages’ and accrual cases, the advisory committee could most likely recommend amendments to, among others, section 7(3) of the Divorce Act to enable all spouses married out of community of property without accrual to apply to court for a redistribution order when their marriages end in divorce or death. </p>
<p>In its <a href="https://www.justice.gov.za/salrc/dpapers/dp160-prj100E-ReviewMatrimonialPropertyLaw.pdf">discussion paper 160</a>, the commission recommends that a court should retain discretion to ensure a just and equitable result when granting a redistribution order.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217695/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Waheeda Amien is a Professor of Law at the University of Cape Town. She specialises in Legal Pluralism, Religious Family Laws, Freedom of Religion, and Gender Equality. Prof. Amien is also a member of the Advisory Committee of the South African Law Reform Commission Project 100E on the Review of Aspects of Matrimonial Property Law. She writes in her personal capacity. The views expressed in this article are not necessarily those of the University of Cape Town or the South African Law Reform Commission.</span></em></p>The judgment will also benefit spouses in Muslim marriages, which were legally recognised in a 2022 Constitutional Court judgment.Waheeda Amien, Professor of Legal Pluralism, Religious Family Laws, and Human Rights, University of Cape TownLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2063602024-01-30T20:15:08Z2024-01-30T20:15:08ZSchools have a long way to go to offer equitable learning opportunities, especially in French immersion<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537617/original/file-20230716-25-rv538b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C89%2C6000%2C3538&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">In a research study on the accessibility of French immersion, one parent was told she faced a three-year wait to access reading supports for her child. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Andrew Ebrahim/Unsplash)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/schools-have-a-long-way-to-go-to-offer-equitable-learning-opportunities-especially-in-french-immersion" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>The Ontario Human Rights Commission’s <a href="https://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/right-to-read-inquiry-report">Right to Read report</a>, published last February, called for changes in the province’s educational system. The commission found shortcomings in how schools support students with special education needs. </p>
<p>We found similar trends in our <a href="https://uottawa.scholarsportal.info/ottawa/index.php/ILOB-OLBI/article/view/6618/5553">interview-based study</a> on the accessibility of French immersion for students with special education needs from low-income communities in Toronto. We interviewed eight mothers with diverse socio-economic status, home language and immigration backgrounds on their experiences with the French immersion program. </p>
<p>According to the Right to Read report’s <a href="https://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/right-to-read-inquiry-report/appendix-1-list-recommendations">recommendations</a>, children need accessible, effective learning assessments, as well as evidence-based interventions that occur in a timely manner. </p>
<p>These interventions include explicit, systematic programs that focus on <a href="https://www.readingrockets.org/reading-101/reading-and-writing-basics/phonics-and-decoding">phonics (teaching the relationships between letters and the sounds of spoken language) and decoding (applying knowledge of letter-sound relationships to written words, or “sounding out”)</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/metalinguistic-awareness">metalinguistic awareness</a> (a larger awareness of language, including an ability to reflect on it) and other skills <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.99">that support reading accuracy and fluency</a>). </p>
<p>Research has highlighted difficulties accessing support for students with special education needs <a href="https://doi.org/10.1075/jicb.20012.kay">in French immersion programs</a>. As we also heard in our study, parents of children with students with special education needs from low-income communities in Toronto faced barriers accessing resources for their children.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/reading-struggles-dont-wait-to-advocate-for-your-child-130986">Reading struggles? Don't wait to advocate for your child</a>
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<img alt="A school building." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571939/original/file-20240129-21-apeyf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571939/original/file-20240129-21-apeyf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571939/original/file-20240129-21-apeyf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571939/original/file-20240129-21-apeyf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571939/original/file-20240129-21-apeyf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571939/original/file-20240129-21-apeyf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571939/original/file-20240129-21-apeyf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">A report published by the TDSB found students without special needs represent 90 per cent of students in French immersion and 78 per cent of students in the board overall.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<h2>Marginalized students underrepresented</h2>
<p>French immersion programs have become increasingly popular <a href="https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/cjnse/article/view/74139">across Canada</a>, since students who learn both English and French in school may <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/228709/pdf">benefit from increased intercultural awareness</a>, easier travel throughout Canada, better access to bilingual jobs as well as potential <a href="https://doi.org/10.3138/cmlr.63.5.605">developmental and social benefits</a>.</p>
<p>There is a <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/4922887/french-immersion-school-canada-demand-teachers/">high demand</a> for French immersion in Canada, and the program is often perceived as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2020.1865988">an elitist system</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/french-immersion-and-other-regional-learning-programs-smart-choice-for-your-kids-or-do-they-fuel-inequity-195184">French immersion and other regional learning programs: Smart choice for your kids, or do they fuel inequity?</a>
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<p>In the <a href="https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Portals/0/docs/TDSB%20French%20Programs%20Review%20Mar082019.pdf">Toronto District School board (TDSB) French immersion report released in 2019</a>, marginalized students are underrepresented in its immersion programs. For example, the report — based on registration and census information — noted that in grades 7-8:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>49 per cent of students identify as white in French immersion and 30 per cent in the board overall;</p></li>
<li><p>students without special needs represent 90 per cent of students in French immersion and 78 per cent of students in the board overall;</p></li>
<li><p>Students whose family income is $100,000 and over represent 66 per cent of students in French immersion and 47 per cent of students in the board overall;</p></li>
<li><p>Children from families who speak English at home represent 63 per cent of French immersion classes and 35 per cent of the board overall.</p></li>
</ul>
<h2>Reading struggles</h2>
<p>Emily (not her real name) is one of the mothers who participated in our study. She has seen the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77cz9iUeDaY&t=82s">high cost of disability in our school systems</a>. With her permission, we have shared her story below to illustrate her family’s experience in a French immersion program.</p>
<p>Emily enrolled all of her three children in a French immersion program. Emily’s eldest child excelled in immersion, and continued to study French into university. However, Emily’s two youngest were struggling to read in French. The teachers assured her that her children would catch up in time and there was no need to worry. </p>
<p>Shockingly for Emily, once her middle child reached Grade 3, she was suddenly informed that her child was reading at a kindergarten level. </p>
<p>However, the wait to be assessed was approximately three years — meaning this child might be in Grade 6 before they received any formal assessment and intervention support. </p>
<p>At the suggestion of the school’s administration, Emily agreed to pay $3,500 for an external evaluation. She said about the experience:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I’ll never forget it, having that SST (school support team) meeting. I’m in front of the psychologist and all these different people and I literally lost control. The head of special education, she said, ‘It’s okay.’ I’m like, ‘I’m not crying because my daughter has a learning disability. I’ve come to terms with that.’ I said, ‘I’m crying because I had to pay $3,500 dollars …’… How many kids are falling through the cracks?’ That was very disconcerting for me. I was heartbroken.”</p>
</blockquote>
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<img alt="A hand writing on French homework." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540522/original/file-20230801-17-ko6dda.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540522/original/file-20230801-17-ko6dda.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540522/original/file-20230801-17-ko6dda.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540522/original/file-20230801-17-ko6dda.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540522/original/file-20230801-17-ko6dda.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540522/original/file-20230801-17-ko6dda.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540522/original/file-20230801-17-ko6dda.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Schools have a long way to go to offer equitable learning opportunities for all students.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<h2>Insufficient special education support</h2>
<p>Even after spending an exorbitant amount of money, Emily found out the hard way that there wasn’t sufficient special education support in French immersion for her child. She ended up removing her middle child from the immersion program the next year. Emily’s middle child did get the support she needed in the English program.</p>
<p>This is just one example of the stories we heard in our research study on the accessibility of French immersion. </p>
<p>Emily’s question stayed with us throughout our work: How many students are falling through the cracks? </p>
<p>The truth is, we don’t really know. Based on the attrition rates in French immersion from the TDSB, it must be high. According to a <a href="https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Portals/0/docs/TDSB%20French%20Programs%20Review%20Mar082019.pdf">2019 report published by the TDSB,</a> from the early French immersion cohort where students start in senior kindergarten, approximately 70 per cent of the students have left the program by Grade 9.</p>
<h2>Need for early intervention</h2>
<p>In our study, one parent was told that her child couldn’t be assessed until Grade 3, which contradicts <a href="https://www.readingrockets.org/article/importance-early-intervention">evidence-based best practices</a> that call for early assessment and intervention. </p>
<p>Parents also said they often feel pressure to pay for expensive tutors, French summer camps and other language immersion opportunities so their children don’t fall behind. </p>
<p>They reported spending a lot of time supporting their children’s studies despite not speaking the language of instruction, and this ends up becoming an emotional and financial burden.</p>
<h2>Ensuring changes are implemented equitably</h2>
<p>Following the Right to Read inquiry, the Government of Ontario committed to sweeping change such as <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/right-to-read-inquiry-report-literacy-ontario-1.6378408">mandating early literacy screening</a>. We have also seen a huge amount of <a href="https://www.idaontario.com/effective-reading-instruction/">professional learning</a> for teachers. Ensuring that positive change yielded by these approaches are effective in French immersion programs is critical. </p>
<p>We know that individual resilience and community support networks aren’t enough to combat systemic barriers. </p>
<p>We still have a long way to go if we want our school system to be an equitable learning opportunity for all students — particularly in immersion.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/206360/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Diana Burchell receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Becky Xi Chen receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elizabeth Kay-Raining Bird has received funding from SSHRC. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Roksana Dobrin-De Grace receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).</span></em></p>Parents in a study about the accessibility of French immersion programs discussed inadequate support for learning to read and feeling pressured to pay for expensive tutors.Diana Burchell, PhD Candidate in Developmental Psychology and Education, University of TorontoBecky Xi Chen, Professor, Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of TorontoElizabeth Kay-Raining Bird, Professor Emeritus, School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Dalhousie UniversityRoksana Dobrin-De Grace, PhD Student in Developmental Psychology, Toronto Metropolitan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2204852024-01-23T13:30:11Z2024-01-23T13:30:11ZThree South African universities have new approaches to assessing students: why this is a good thing<p>South African higher education faces many complex challenges rooted in the <a href="https://amnesty.org.za/research/broken-and-unequal-the-state-of-education-in-south-africa/">legacy</a> of <a href="https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/history-apartheid-south-africa">apartheid</a>. They include <a href="https://theconversation.com/pass-rates-for-school-leavers-in-south-africa-are-failing-students-and-universities-169876">the fact that many students</a> are unprepared for or excluded from higher education. Quality education is not available to all. It’s therefore difficult for many students to remain in higher education and eventually graduate. </p>
<p>The data points to two persistent trends. The first is that, according to 2018 figures, <a href="https://www.oecd.org/education/education-at-a-glance/EAG2019_CN_ZAF.pdf">69%</a> of young South Africans (20-24) were not enrolled in education programmes. </p>
<p>The second is that racial disparities remain in the profile of those enrolled at higher education institutions. In <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1115545/student-participation-rates-in-south-africa-by-population-group/#:%7E:text=The%20source%20noted%20the%20following,%2C%20and%206.5%25%20were%20colored">2022</a>, black Africans, who make up the <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1116076/total-population-of-south-africa-by-population-group/">majority</a> ethnic demographic in the country, accounted for only 5.5%. </p>
<p>The knock-on effect for young black South Africans is dramatic. The 2022 unemployment rate of young people (25-34) with a high school qualification was <a href="https://gpseducation.oecd.org/CountryProfile?primaryCountry=ZAF&treshold=5&topic=EO">40.7%</a>. In contrast, <a href="https://gpseducation.oecd.org/CountryProfile?primaryCountry=ZAF&treshold=5&topic=EO">75.3%</a> of those with a tertiary qualification were employed. </p>
<p>There are no simple or easy solutions to such challenges. However, educational assessment speaks to many of them. Assessment is the process of gathering, interpreting and using information to evaluate individuals’ knowledge, skills, abilities or performance. </p>
<p>Three South African universities – the <a href="https://cilt.uct.ac.za/projects/revising-ucts-assessment-policy">University of Cape Town</a>, <a href="https://sunrecords.sun.ac.za/controlled/C4%20Policies%20and%20Regulations/SU%20Assessment%20Policy_FINAL.pdf">Stellenbosch University</a> and the University of the Western Cape – recently approved new assessment policy documents. We were part of a group of University of the Western Cape academics <a href="https://journals.uj.ac.za/SOTL/index.php/sotls/article/view/334">who reviewed these documents</a>. Our main finding was that recent versions reflect global <a href="https://www.jisc.ac.uk/blog/what-is-the-future-of-assessment-and-feedback">shifts</a> in assessment thinking. </p>
<p>We found that previous assessment policy versions were more prescriptive and rigidly rules-based. They dictated what exactly should be done, for example, the examination rules and regulations. The new versions put students at the centre of the assessment process. In addition, they viewed assessment as a <a href="https://www.rpajournal.com/dev/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/SF.pdf">social practice</a>. </p>
<p>We conclude that this is an important shift. Viewing students as potential partners in assessment could be seen as a radical shift in power and responsibility. In emphasising students, and the realities of their diverse and <a href="https://theconversation.com/south-africas-no-fee-school-system-cant-undo-inequality-178559">disadvantaged backgrounds</a>, assessment practices could make higher education more equitable in South Africa. </p>
<h2>Shifts from rules to real people</h2>
<p>Assessment is involved in university admission and selection processes. It influences curriculum design and benchmarking. It is used to ensure that the appropriate standards are met and maintained. It can help diagnose learning gaps and support student development. And, finally, assessment evaluates whether students have learned enough to graduate. </p>
<p>National statutory bodies set higher education standards, but universities develop their own policies and respond to new issues – such as COVID-19 and emergency remote teaching.</p>
<p>In the past, staff and the institution were very much at the centre. They enforced standards, their expertise was gospel and they were the authority on assessment decisions. </p>
<p>Previous policies focused on the more technical side of assessment, emphasising the importance of validity, measurement and judgement. While this focus is not necessarily “bad”, it is misplaced, as it largely ignores who the students are. </p>
<p>These policies dictated uniform rules that needed to be followed without consideration of student population diversity.</p>
<p>Our review shows that new policies adopted by the three institutions acknowledge the importance of the students and the need for their active involvement in assessment. The new policies re-centre students and their learning, which is relevant to the challenges of access, academic achievement, retention and throughput. </p>
<p>The University of Cape Town and the University of the Western Cape engaged students and other stakeholders in developing their new assessment policies. Stellenbosch University also stressed the need to build relationships between staff and students for mutual learning and improvement. Peer and team assessment were mentioned too. </p>
<p>In contrast to the previous rules-based approach, all three new policies put principles and values in the foreground. </p>
<p>For instance, they spoke of flexibility, including the use of technology among other modes of teaching and learning. We speculate that this may have been due, at least in part, to the rapid adaptations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Few in-person examinations took place in 2020 and 2021. </p>
<p>Values such as fairness and inclusivity were highlighted. For example, staff should feel free to assess students through work such as online presentations instead of relying only on traditional written examinations. And students should have more and varied opportunities to be assessed, for example extended deadlines, so as not to disadvantage or exclude them. </p>
<p>The universities also referenced their disability and language policies, acknowledging the diversity of their students. Bias or discrimination (ethnic, gender, linguistic) was unacceptable. Staff were to be culturally aware and contextually sensitive in their assessment practices. </p>
<h2>Impact will take time to judge</h2>
<p>The new policies emphasise the role of the people (staff and students) who practise, experience and are affected by assessment, and the differing contexts in which these take place. </p>
<p>This is encouraging because it acknowledges the need for equity, inclusivity and social justice in South African education.</p>
<p>But enthusiasm should be tempered. We reviewed only three out of 26 public universities. Institutions are free to update their policies – or not.</p>
<p>Also, it’s not known how well these policies are understood, accepted and implemented by staff, students and the public. It’s important for students, families and employers, as well as lecturers, to understand what students are expected to achieve, how they are being evaluated and what universities are doing to give them a fair chance of success. </p>
<p>The final caveat is that it will take time to see what impact the new approach will have on diversity, access, retention, throughput, academic achievement and employment.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220485/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Assessment is involved in many of the challenges facing higher education.Danica Sims, Lecturer, University of OxfordRajendran Govender, Dean of Faculty of Education, University of the Western CapeSamuel Lundie, Teaching and Learning Specialist, University of the Western CapeSimone Titus, Associate Professor: Health Professions Education, Stellenbosch UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2178972023-12-14T20:51:07Z2023-12-14T20:51:07ZWhy universities warrant public investment: Preparing students for living together well<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565333/original/file-20231212-19-furxds.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C545%2C7927%2C4544&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">University funding quickly raises the question of value: what is it that universities offer that warrants public investment?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/why-universities-warrant-public-investment-preparing-students-for-living-together-well" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>A <a href="https://files.ontario.ca/mcu-ensuring-financial-sustainability-for-ontarios-postsecondary-sector-en-2023-11-14.pdf">recent report</a> noting that funding for Ontario’s universities is “low when compared with support in other provinces” points to <a href="https://higheredstrategy.com/whats-in-ontarios-blue-ribbon-panel-report/">underfunding as a serious problem</a> in the province’s post-secondary sector. </p>
<p>Funding quickly raises the question of value: what is it that <a href="https://utorontopress.com/9781487509446/nothing-less-than-great/">universities offer</a> that warrants public investment? </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1725520012545270079"}"></div></p>
<p>Much of my own research has posited that universities have a <a href="https://utorontopress.com/9780802096708/longing-for-justice/">responsibility to contribute</a> to the public good and to equity. </p>
<h2>Universities’ obligations to public life</h2>
<p>Academic research and reports authored by <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/higher-education-playbook-strengthening-democracy-what-institutions-can-do">educational</a>, <a href="https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000379707.locale=en">not-for-profit</a> and <a href="https://www.coe.int/en/web/higher-education-and-research/democratic-mission-of-higher-education">governmental</a> organizations confirm that universities are integral to democratic societies. </p>
<p><a href="https://torontostar.pressreader.com/article/281612425180566">The question of the purposes of universities</a> is both long-standing and one that has elicited many perspectives. Recent global attention to both systemic forms of injustice and increasingly urgent climate crises underscore the complexity of considering universities’ obligations to public life. </p>
<p>I contend that the central contribution of post-secondary institutions, related to graduate and undergraduate education, is to prepare students to attend to the practices of living together well — with the capacities to recognize inequity and advance equity, in field-specific settings and a range of communities.</p>
<h2>Contested conversation about purpose</h2>
<p>While many faculty members might agree <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-017-0001-8">with the idea that a university education will ideally respond to</a> professional, intellectual and public and equity-related priorities, the conversation can quickly become contested. </p>
<p>Indeed, implementation of this idea does present challenges. And yet — graduates will enter a world in which systemic forms of inequity are present in a variety of settings and sectors. The likelihood of a university graduate encountering inequity in their chosen profession or field is less a question of if than when and how. </p>
<p>Likewise, the view that universities can educate students who can contribute to a more equitable future offers a constructive and bold response to the question of what a university education is for.</p>
<p>Universities can and do prepare graduates to contribute to their professions, to economic interests, and to the public good. The economic, civic and intellectual ends of a university education do not need to be placed in opposition to one another, or set up as binary or discreet. </p>
<h2>The ends of a university education</h2>
<p>Increasingly, universities and accreditation bodies alike are affirming the multiple and overlapping interests a university degree supports, including the importance of curricular attention to <a href="https://www.queensu.ca/provost/Quality-Assurance/DLEs">diversity and equity</a>.</p>
<p>One obvious concrete end of a university education is the <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/691618/the-real-world-of-college-by-wendy-fischman-and-howard-gardner/">intellectual endeavour</a>, which typically includes the acquisition of knowledge and the <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/blogs/benefits-intellectual-open-mindedness">life of the mind</a>. </p>
<p>Civic ends constitute a second purpose of a university education: ideally, students will be able to consider how a degree prepares them to think and <a href="https://www.universityaffairs.ca/features/feature-article/dont-just-publish-another-paper-lets-do-something-says-scholar-advocate-cindy-blackstock/">act as citizens</a> and participate in key public decisions.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/canadian-engineers-call-for-change-to-their-private-iron-ring-ceremony-steeped-in-colonialism-194897">Canadian engineers call for change to their private 'iron ring' ceremony steeped in colonialism</a>
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<p>Those in industry, provincial and federal governments, and the post-secondary sector stress the importance of preparing students for the <a href="https://thoughtleadership.rbc.com/bridging-the-gap-what-liberal-arts-grads-need-to-know-about-their-future/">labour market</a> and for <a href="https://ontariosuniversities.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Partnering-to-Drive-Jobs-and-Growth-2023.pdf">employment</a>. </p>
<p>Studies have demonstrated that students, whether in professional disciplines (such as nursing or engineering) or those not governed by accreditation bodies (like philosophy or film) <a href="https://www.aplu.org/our-work/4-policy-and-advocacy/publicuvalues/societal-benefits">will make significant economic</a> <a href="https://research.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/education-pays-2019-full-report.pdf">and civic contributions</a>, whether in the public sector or other industries. </p>
<h2>All education is consequential</h2>
<p>Directly asserting that universities have an obligation to contribute to the practices of living together well with an eye toward equity can quickly raise objections from within and outside of higher education. </p>
<p>There are many who are most comfortable with the belief <a href="https://lab.cccb.org/en/henry-giroux-those-arguing-that-education-should-be-neutral-are-really-arguing-for-a-version-of-education-in-which-nobody-is-accountable">that universities are neutral institutions</a> and that academic programs ought to <a href="https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/education-political-neutrality-classroom-shortchanges-students">maintain this neutrality</a> via a clear and often specific reliance on rational, discipline-specific thought or methods. In fact, in providing content in academic programs and specific courses, faculty <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.1508">members endorse a way of seeing the world</a>. </p>
<p>Faculty members teach in ways that, implicitly or explicitly and intentionally or not, variously endorse the status quo and existing forms of injustice, or call attention to the need for equity and provide an education that speaks to this need. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/in-times-of-racial-injustice-university-education-should-not-be-neutral-158352">In times of racial injustice, university education should not be 'neutral'</a>
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<h2>Orienting students toward what is possible</h2>
<p>Time in the classroom and in conversation with faculty members and other students will shape habits, inform priorities and orient students toward what is possible and desirable. </p>
<p>Graduates’ choices and actions will nearly always have a bearing on how people live. Whether in sociology or biology or mathematics, courses will orient students in <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/higher-ed-gamma/we-need-infuse-civic-and-public-purpose-college-education">how to understand the world</a> in which they live, and also in regard to what their responsibilities are to that world in the context of their chosen fields. </p>
<p>We can do so in ways that underscore the hallmarks of intellectual engagement: curiosity, openness to various perspectives, attention to context, and listening to those with whom we disagree.</p>
<h2>The practices of living together well</h2>
<p>Universities are places for deliberation, inquiry, curiosity and investigation. In teaching students, university faculty have the privilege of asking why, how and what for in regard to numerous settings and situations, and the pleasure of bringing knowledge and different perspectives to bear on how classroom learning affects our society.</p>
<p>We live in a world in which systemic forms of inequity persist. In designing courses and academic programs, faculty have an opportunity to engage students with field-specific knowledge and to attend to the practical and ethical uses of that knowledge once students graduate.</p>
<p>For all these reasons, a university education at its best will be attentive to the public good and to equity, and to civic, intellectual and employment ends.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217897/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jennifer S Simpson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The economic, civic and intellectual ends of a university education do not need to be placed in opposition to one another. A university education at its best will be attentive to all these ends.Jennifer S Simpson, Special Adviser to the President, EDID (Curriculum Transformation) and Professor, School of Professional Communication, Toronto Metropolitan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2178912023-12-07T13:29:27Z2023-12-07T13:29:27ZBiases behind transgender athlete bans are deeply rooted<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563732/original/file-20231205-27-qcfbyg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=988%2C62%2C5002%2C4302&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A California teacher takes part in a demonstration in September 2023 to support the rights of transgender people.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/micki-simon-a-teacher-in-santa-ana-and-a-parent-of-news-photo/1652629912?adppopup=true">Leonard Ortiz/Orange County Register via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In 2023, <a href="https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/youth/sports_participation_bans">24 states</a> had laws or regulations in place prohibiting transgender students from participating on public school athletic teams consistent with their gender identity. These bans mean that a person whose sex assigned at birth was male but who identifies as a girl or woman cannot play on a girls or women’s athletic team at a public school in that state.</p>
<p>The topic has spurred many <a href="https://www.cato.org/regulation/fall-2022/transgender-athletes-fair-competition-public-policy">debates about fairness</a>, the science behind <a href="https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/38209262/transgender-athlete-laws-state-legislation-science">sports performance</a>, <a href="https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-condemns-house-vote-on-federal-ban-on-transgender-student-athletes">civil rights</a> and sports as a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1123/kr.2021-0040">human right</a>. </p>
<p>As <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=xU8P9K4AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">researchers</a> who <a href="https://www.diversityinsport.com/lab-members">study</a> diversity, equity and inclusion in sport, we were interested in understanding what prompted such bans. Though not a surprise, we showed for the first time through an <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/53e51960e4b0f38ca4081a61/t/656fa1c769a9f848e8b4c25e/1701814727449/Politics%2C+Bias%2C+and+Transgender+Athlete+Ban+%28Blind%29+%28Final%29.pdf">in-depth study</a> set to be published in the peer-reviewed <a href="https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2023-0137">Journal of Sport Management</a> that state-level politics and public biases against transgender people are largely to blame.</p>
<h2>Our research</h2>
<p>We collected two years of data in 2021 and 2022 on <a href="https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/youth/sports_participation_bans">states that passed</a> legislation prohibiting transgender athletes from participating in sports on teams that connect with their own gender identities. </p>
<p>To determine the political leanings of a state’s population, we <a href="https://www.ncsl.org/about-state-legislatures/state-partisan-composition">collected data</a> about the share of Republican state senators and the party affiliation of the governor.</p>
<p>Finally, we collected information about the biases people had toward transgender individuals. The data came from responses to the <a href="https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html">Project Implicit website</a>. People visiting the site can take tests aimed at measuring their biases toward different groups, including transgender people. Administrators then remove identifying information and <a href="https://osf.io/y9hiq/">make the data</a> freely available. For our study, we aggregated the responses to have transgender bias scores for each state.</p>
<h2>The politics of transgender bans</h2>
<p>States whose residents have conservative political leanings tend to have more restrictive views on civil rights issues such as <a href="https://doi.org/DOI:10.1177/1532440014524212">immigration</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2020.306126">health care</a> and the use of the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1353/sof.2004.0115">death penalty</a>.</p>
<p>These patterns hold for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0160323X21990839">transgender rights</a>, too.</p>
<p>In our work, we found that states with conservative-leaning legislatures such as in <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/03/21/1164917836/wyoming-governor-calls-trans-athlete-ban-bill-draconian-and-then-allows-it-to-pa">Wyoming</a> and <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/supreme-court-says-transgender-girl-can-run-track-in-west-virginia-as-lawsuit-proceeds">West Virginia</a> were most likely to enact transgender athlete bans. As were states with Republican governors, such as <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/06/01/desantis-transgender-sports-bill-491495">Ron DeSantis</a> in Florida and <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-transgender-college-athletes-bill-greg-abbott-sb-15/">Greg Abbott</a> in Texas.</p>
<p>These statewide patterns are consistent with national political actions. </p>
<p>In 2023, the Biden administration <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/12/politics/republican-governors-letter-transgender-sports-ban-title-ix/index.html">proposed a change</a> to Title IX, the federal law that bans sex discrimination at K-12 schools and colleges that receive federal funds. Under Biden’s <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/06/us/transgender-athletes-title-ix-biden-adminstration.html">proposed changes</a>, Title IX would also ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.</p>
<p>In response, nearly all – <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/12/politics/republican-governors-letter-transgender-sports-ban-title-ix/index.html">25 of the 26 Republican governors</a> – called on Biden to delay or withdraw the rule change. To date, Biden <a href="https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/a-flood-of-public-feedback-has-delayed-a-title-ix-change-covering-trans-athletes-again/2023/09">has not made</a> a final decision and has delayed the change.</p>
<h2>Bias against transgender people</h2>
<p>But politics tells only part of the story.</p>
<p>We found that conservative political leanings spurred collective biases against transgender people, which in turn prompted the bans.</p>
<p>Political scientists have previously shown that politicians craft narratives and frame their arguments in ways that help shape people’s attitudes about <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/psj.12475">social issues</a>. In fact, people will sometimes <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/ajps.12243">adjust their perspectives</a> to align with those held by their political representatives. </p>
<p>That’s what we found.</p>
<h2>Impact on sports and athletes</h2>
<p>Biases that are prevalent in a community or state represent <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2021.08.001">systemic forms</a> of oppression. Coupled with laws that limit rights, collective biases serve to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.11.010">stigmatize transgender people</a>, hurting their overall <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15856-9">health and well-being</a>. </p>
<p>The impact is far-reaching. </p>
<p>Transgender athletes face the real possibility of participating in a sport one day, only to be prohibited from doing so the next. Ending a career in sports, regardless at what age, <a href="http://csri-jiia.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/RA_2019_19.pdf.pdf">can harm</a> the mental health of some athletes, something only likely to be magnified given the reason for the end. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Four sprinters run at an indoor track meet." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401062/original/file-20210517-21-km9t86.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401062/original/file-20210517-21-km9t86.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401062/original/file-20210517-21-km9t86.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401062/original/file-20210517-21-km9t86.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401062/original/file-20210517-21-km9t86.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401062/original/file-20210517-21-km9t86.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401062/original/file-20210517-21-km9t86.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Bloomfield High School transgender athlete Terry Miller, second from left, wins the final of the 55-meter dash over transgender athlete Andraya Yearwood, far left, at a Connecticut girls Class S indoor track meet in 2019.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/TransgenderAthletesHighSchool/bf19d959b3c24a53b4d315f9a26f8ddc/photo?Query=title%20AND%20ix&mediaType=photo&sortBy=arrivaldatetime:desc&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=181&currentItemNo=2">AP Photo/Pat Eaton-Robb</a></span>
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<p>Coaches and sport administrators living in conservative states might find themselves having to navigate laws affecting who can play on their teams. They can do so by partnering with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2019.04.025">campus counselors</a> and ensuring their athletic departments are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2014-0135">inclusive spaces</a>. </p>
<h2>What’s next?</h2>
<p>The links among conservative politics, collective biases against transgender people and transgender rights are unlikely to diminish any time soon. National political reporters <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/16/us/politics/transgender-conservative-campaign.html">Adam Nagourney and Jeremy Peter</a> explained that social conservatives have targeted transgender rights as a way of galvanizing their constituents. The GOP efforts came about after planning by national conservative organizations to “harness the emotion around gender politics.”</p>
<p>Proponents of transgender inclusion <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80262-985-920221002">have offered counterarguments</a>, showing that transgender athletes are not a threat to women’s sports, nor have they ever been. </p>
<p>This data is important but will go only so far when combating biases. </p>
<p>Education and the chance to be around transgender people in everyday life also help <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-011-0110-6">curb prejudice</a>. These collective factors, when combined with <a href="https://hbr.org/2011/03/using-stories-as-a-tool-of-per">compelling stories</a> about transgender inclusion in sports, may be what’s needed to overcome the biases in place.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217891/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Sports researchers learned that conservative political leanings among state legislators lead to biases against transgender athletes among voters.George B. Cunningham, UAA Endowed Professor of Sport Management, University of FloridaKelsey Garrison, PhD student, Department of Sports Management, University of FloridaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2158682023-10-30T22:09:44Z2023-10-30T22:09:44ZMental health needs to be a cornerstone of equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives<iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/mental-health-needs-to-be-a-cornerstone-of-equity-diversity-and-inclusion-initiatives" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Equity, diversity and inclusion programs have become ubiquitous in the workplace. As organizations publicly express their commitment to diversity and inclusion, there is a growing concern that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/women-in-leadership/2014/sep/29/diversity-is-a-bombastic-buzzword-and-im-over-it">these concepts are merely buzzwords</a> to make organizations look more socially responsible.</p>
<p>There has also been a <a href="https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/countering-the-corporate-diversity-backlash">growing backlash</a> <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/10/the-diversity-backlash-here-s-how-to-resist-it/">against the diversity, equity and inclusion movement</a>. So, too, is the recognition that diversity statements <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-corporate-diversity-statements-are-backfiring-podcast-190726">can backfire against diverse applicants</a> or <a href="https://business.vanderbilt.edu/news/2018/02/26/tokenism-in-the-workplace/">reek of tokenism</a>. They can result in <a href="https://hbr.org/2016/03/the-unintended-consequences-of-diversity-statements">unintended consequences</a>, like making organizations less likely to notice discrimination or forcing job applicants to tone down their racial identity to increase their chance of a callback. </p>
<p>There is evidence that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-06-2021-0839">bias and diversity training that isn’t grounded in research</a> can be ineffective or <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-problem-with-implicit-bias-training">even have the opposite of the intended effect</a>. Poorly executed equity, diversity and inclusion programs can provoke resentment among certain groups, <a href="https://time.com/5118035/diversity-training-infuriates-men-fails-women/">like white men</a>, or <a href="https://hbr.org/2016/01/diversity-policies-dont-help-women-or-minorities-and-they-make-white-men-feel-threatened">provide a smokescreen for increased discrimination</a>.</p>
<p>On the bright side, the <a href="https://www.mondaq.com/canada/health-safety/971078/why-workplace-diversity-and-inclusion-matter">need to take diversity seriously</a> has grown, too. Arguments for successful equity, diversity and inclusion programs (EDI) often point to <a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/how-dei-and-sustainability-can-grow-your-triple-bottom-line/425157">how it can grow the bottom line</a> or <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/08/16/the-power-of-diversity-and-inclusion-driving-innovation-and-success/">improve innovation</a>. Others seek to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/15344843211072356">reconcile the business and social justice cases for diversity</a>. </p>
<p>But there is another part of this conversation that <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/onemind/2020/07/14/the-essential-role-of-mental-health-for-a-diverse-inclusive-workplace/?sh=7064276fac4d">is rarely acknowledged</a>: the universal human right to mental health.</p>
<h2>Mental health is a human right</h2>
<p>Oct. 10 was World Mental Health Day; a day when the World Health Organization seeks to educate people about mental health and combat the stigma associated with it. This year’s theme was “<a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2023/10/10/default-calendar/world-mental-health-day-2023---mental-health-is-a-universal-human-right">Mental health is a universal human right</a>.” </p>
<p>This message carries significant weight, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns, which <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/06/1094672">led to a worldwide surge in</a> substance abuse, mental health issues and lingering feelings of fear and anxiety. These issues have a broad societal impact, particularly in the workplace, where people typically spend the majority of their adult lives.</p>
<p>Individuals from marginalized communities <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-022-01380-w">are disproportionately affected by mental health issues</a> in the workplace. These challenges can encompass a range of issues, from anxiety and depression to feelings of loneliness and exclusion.</p>
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<img alt="A person sitting a desk with their head in their hands" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/556350/original/file-20231027-30-zy7y0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/556350/original/file-20231027-30-zy7y0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/556350/original/file-20231027-30-zy7y0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/556350/original/file-20231027-30-zy7y0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/556350/original/file-20231027-30-zy7y0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/556350/original/file-20231027-30-zy7y0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/556350/original/file-20231027-30-zy7y0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the mental health challenges faced by marginalized communities, placing additional strain on their mental health.</span>
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<p>Part of this is due to the harassment and discrimination women and marginalized individuals experience. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/2378023119853894">According to one study</a>, racial and ethnic minorities suffer race-specific discrimination four to six times more often than their white counterparts, while women are three to four times more likely to face gender discrimination and sexual harassment than their male peers. Belonging to more than one disadvantaged group further <a href="https://doi.org/10.29173/cjs29736">increases the likelihood of workplace discrimination</a>. </p>
<p>The COVID-19 pandemic has <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/45-28-0001/2020001/article/00077-eng.htm">exacerbated the mental health challenges faced by marginalized communities</a>, placing additional strain on their <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0271661">mental health</a>.</p>
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<p>Additionally, structural racism has led to workplace cultures where <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/08445621221110140">fear of retribution silences victims</a> of discrimination, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000235">preventing them from speaking out</a>.</p>
<p>As such, marginalized employees are at risk of losing more than just pay or a promotion — their voices may <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2022/06/after-30-years-minorities-still-need-be-seen-and-heard">be ignored when it comes to planning and implementing the policies</a> that are supposed to benefit them. This situation is exacerbated by the increased emphasis on workplace meritocracy, which can lead to <a href="https://spsp.org/news-center/character-context-blog/does-reliance-merit-principles-lead-discrimination">hidden discrimination</a>.</p>
<h2>The perils of meritocracy</h2>
<p><a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/meritocracy/">Meritocracy</a> is the idea that there is a clear standard of merit and that individuals can be assessed, judged, ranked or sorted accordingly. </p>
<p>However, the idea of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904815614916">selection by merit</a> tends to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1086/588738">create a bias</a> against marginalized employees, because they’re assumed to have gotten their position because they <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci10100386">belonged to a particular category</a> rather than having deserved it. </p>
<p>Additionally, racialized individuals, particularly those of Asian descent, often face the pressure of conforming to the “<a href="https://hbr.org/2021/06/why-the-model-minority-myth-is-so-harmful">model minority</a>” stereotype and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000015">not speaking out</a> about their needs. They are implicitly expected to work harder and be smarter than others. </p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/model-minority-blues-the-mental-health-consequences-of-being-a-model-citizen-dont-call-me-resilient-ep-9-transcript-167521">Model minority blues — The mental health consequences of being a model citizen: Don't Call Me Resilient EP 9 transcript</a>
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<p>When individuals are unable to meet these artificial standards, they may <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28856-3_8">blame themselves</a> for not being able to succeed. Poorly executed EDI programs can worsen the situation.</p>
<p>Far too many individuals suffer in silence, rather than seek treatment. A <a href="https://www.apa.org/monitor/2016/01/publication-disparities">survey from 2016</a> found that Asian-Americans were 51 per cent less likely to use mental health services than European Americans.</p>
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<img alt="A group of people sit on chairs in a circle, having a conversation" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/556351/original/file-20231027-20-fms1bl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/556351/original/file-20231027-20-fms1bl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/556351/original/file-20231027-20-fms1bl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/556351/original/file-20231027-20-fms1bl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/556351/original/file-20231027-20-fms1bl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/556351/original/file-20231027-20-fms1bl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/556351/original/file-20231027-20-fms1bl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Too many individuals suffer in silence instead of seeking support and treatment.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p>The pandemic has further compounded these challenges for East Asian Canadians, who have been experiencing <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2021.100232/">increased levels of anti-Asian discrimination</a>. Even <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/00333549211018675">indirect experiences of racism</a> can lead to higher levels of anxiety and depression. </p>
<h2>More effective EDI initiatives</h2>
<p>In light of the pandemic, it’s crucial that workplaces committed to diversity and inclusion don’t overlook the importance of addressing mental health concerns.</p>
<p>Workplace initiatives that support equity, diversity and inclusion should also target mental health. This means any EDI initiative should also address the core problems that cause common mental health issues. There are several potential strategies workplaces should consider:</p>
<p><strong>1. Embrace diverse perspectives:</strong> Workplaces should actively <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-workplaces-can-encourage-diverse-personalities-values-and-attitudes-197004">encourage diverse personalities and attitudes</a> while <a href="https://theconversation.com/diversity-in-the-workplace-isnt-enough-businesses-need-to-work-toward-inclusion-194136">fostering a culture of inclusion</a>.</p>
<p><strong>2. Understanding intersectional discrimination:</strong> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-020-00636-w">Intersectional discrimination</a> refers to the fact that individuals may face discrimination based on multiple aspects of their identity, such as race, gender and sexual orientation. Recognizing and addressing these unique challenges is essential.</p>
<p><strong>3. Empowering women:</strong> Initiatives to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119272106">help women succeed in the workplace</a>, like mentorship and sponsorship programs, are critical. These approaches have shown to have positive outcomes in breaking down barriers for women in various industries.</p>
<p><strong>4. Fostering a sense of belonging:</strong> Ensure employees from diverse backgrounds <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMH-04-2019-0040">feel like productive and valued members of their work community</a>. This can help organizations tailor their mental health strategies to be more person-centred and holistic.</p>
<p><strong>5. Building workplace communities:</strong> Promote the development of a strong <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tracybrower/2020/10/25/how-to-build-community-and-why-it-matters-so-much/">sense of community</a> within the workplace. This can enhance the overall well-being of employees and contribute to a more supportive and inclusive environment. </p>
<p><strong>6. Culture-specific interventions:</strong> Implement <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-020-00715-3">community-based mental health strategies</a> that take into account the unique cultural backgrounds and experiences of individuals and adapt support accordingly.</p>
<p>These suggestions are only the beginning, however. What truly matters is setting up EDI and mental health programs in the workplace that are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30846-1">based on evidence</a>. While there is still a long road ahead, the integration of EDI and mental health initiatives represents a significant step towards more inclusive, equitable and mentally healthy workplaces for all.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215868/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Keshav Krishnamurty does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Workplaces committed to diversity and inclusion need to ensure they don’t overlook the importance of addressing mental health concerns.Keshav Krishnamurty, Part-time Instructor, Schulich School of Business, York University, CanadaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2089052023-09-12T12:28:25Z2023-09-12T12:28:25Z5 ways that college campuses benefit from diversity, equity and inclusion programs<p>For more than half a century, colleges and universities have relied on dedicated programs to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2021.10.002">attract students of color</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6676.1999.tb02439.x">support</a> them. Today, those programs – known as diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, programs – are <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2023/06/15/texas-gov-greg-abbott-signs-ban-on-dei-offices-in-public-universities/70327387007/">under attack</a>. </p>
<p>Republican lawmakers assail the programs as being driven by liberal Democrats’ <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/republicans-anti-diversity-bills_n_64383d3ce4b05765f3812d60#:%7E:text=diversityhigher%20education-,Republicans%20Across%20The%20U.S.%20Are%20On%20A%20Crusade%20To%20Eliminate,programs%20at%20colleges%20and%20universities.">“woke agenda”</a> to value and prioritize racial identity over merit. However, rigorous social science research shows that these programs <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/108648220000500505">result in universities with better student learning</a>.</p>
<p>As a researcher who is <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/13/opinions/desantis-bans-dei-florida-colleges-muhammad-licht/index.html">concerned with racial equity on campus</a>, I contend these are five ways DEI programs have made a difference at colleges and universities throughout the U.S.:</p>
<h2>1. Students perform better academically</h2>
<p>Students from marginalized identity groups – including Black, Indigenous, Latinx and Asian students, as well as first-generation students – <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/108648220000500505">perform better academically</a> at schools with diversity programs, and <a href="https://doi.org/10.2190/25T7-3BBF-6HYB-NHAY">graduate at a higher rate</a>.</p>
<p>As a result of DEI programs, students also report <a href="https://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/advancing-diversity-inclusion.pdf">feeling more included on campus</a> through dedicated resources and spaces for students of color.</p>
<p>This sense of belonging also increases when, as a part of DEI programs, <a href="https://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/advancing-diversity-inclusion.pdf">more faculty of color are hired</a>.</p>
<p>When students feel like they belong, they <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1340558">stay in school and graduate after four years</a> at a higher rate than those who do not.</p>
<h2>2. Students are less biased</h2>
<p>Diversity programs have been shown to <a href="https://kb.osu.edu/handle/1811/64961">create more racially diverse learning environments</a>. </p>
<p>These more diverse environments have proved to <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w20940">reduce bias and promote peer acceptance</a>. Increased contact between students from different racial groups results in increased understanding of different perspectives and development of trust.</p>
<p>Students of color also report <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1912.2013.00029.x">less racial stress</a> and fewer feelings of <a href="https://doi.org/10.7709/jnegroeducation.84.2.0175">imposter syndrome</a> on campus.</p>
<h2>3. More satisfied faculty</h2>
<p>Faculty at schools with DEI programs including mentorship <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED447752">stay at their jobs longer and are more satisfied at their places of work</a>. This <a href="https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831219888624">increased job satisfaction</a> is because of how DEI programs restructure university policies on hiring, promotion and advancement. This restructuring includes redesigning job descriptions, including more voices in the interview process and requiring implicit bias training for search committees.</p>
<p>Additionally, these changes result in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000099">increasing the number of junior faculty of color</a> on campus.</p>
<h2>4. More engaging curriculum and classrooms</h2>
<p>DEI programs produce <a href="https://surface.syr.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=ia">more engaged scholarship</a>, which results in higher quality of curriculum and classroom learning as reported by students themselves.</p>
<p>Faculty on campuses with greater curricular innovation <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED535182.pdf">publish higher quality work</a> on issues that affect the communities in which their students will live and work.</p>
<p>Engaged academic work connects classroom learning to issues that students experience directly themselves, such as racism and discrimination based on class, gender and sexuality.</p>
<h2>5. Students are more prepared to be local leaders</h2>
<p>As a result of DEI programs, students are <a href="https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654310383047">more engaged in their communities after they graduate</a>.</p>
<p>Additionally, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02680930210127577">students are more likely to participate in local government and politics</a>, including turning out to vote and running for office after graduation.</p>
<p>Graduating students at schools with DEI programs are also <a href="http://hdl.handle.net/1811/64961">more likely to have interracial friendships and are more prepared for multiracial professional settings</a> because they gain a better understanding of race and ethnicity.</p>
<p>DEI programs have been time-tested as changing campuses for the better and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2021.10.002">attracting more Black, Indigenous, Latinx and Asian students</a>. With <a href="https://time.com/6291182/affirmative-action-supreme-court-decision-overturns/">race-based admissions having been outlawed</a>, going forward DEI efforts can play an even greater role in attracting more students of color and creating the conditions for them to thrive.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208905/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Erica Jacqueline Licht does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Diversity programs benefit schools and students in multiple ways, research shows.Erica Jacqueline Licht, Research Project Director, Institutional Antiracism and Accountability Project (IARA), Harvard Kennedy SchoolLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2087272023-08-30T12:15:21Z2023-08-30T12:15:21ZWorkers like it when their employers talk about diversity and inclusion<p><a href="https://www.raconteur.net/responsible-business/george-floyd-death-racial-equality/">Many companies have made commitments toward</a> diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in recent years, particularly since the murder of <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/george-floyd-87675">George Floyd sparked</a> weeks of racial justice riots in 2020. </p>
<p>But some of those efforts, such as <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/diversity-roles-disappear-three-years-george-floyd-protests-inspired-rcna72026">hiring diversity leaders</a> and <a href="https://news.bloomberglaw.com/esg/host-of-companies-sued-alleging-unmet-diversity-equity-pledges">creating policies to address racial inequality</a>, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/corporate-america-slashing-dei-workers-amid-backlash-diversity/story?id=100477952">have stalled or reversed</a> at the same time as a growing <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/willskipworth/2023/07/21/texas-am-president-resigns-after-conservative-pushback-against-journalism-professor-and-dei/">conservative backlash</a> is threatening to further undermine such initiatives. </p>
<p>Most recently, a June 2023 Supreme Court ruling tossing out affirmative action policies at several universities <a href="https://hbr.org/2023/07/what-scotuss-affirmative-action-decision-means-for-corporate-dei">has prompted businesses and advocates to worry</a> that similar corporate efforts to improve the diversity of their workforces may be next. </p>
<p>That would be bad news for companies, because research has shown that diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives improve <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1177/0146167210367786">creativity</a>, <a href="https://hbr.org/2013/12/how-diversity-can-drive-innovation">innovation</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S2212-5671(14)00178-6">productivity</a> and <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0270813">organizational performance</a>.</p>
<p>What’s more, a majority of workers <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/05/17/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-workplace/">say they want their employers</a> to do DEI. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=697eQncAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">My own research</a> in corporate communications suggests how employees communicate their efforts is just as important as having them.</p>
<h2>DEI and the workplace</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-diversity-equity-and-inclusion">Diversity, equity and inclusion</a> are three related values that companies and other organizations use to guide their efforts to create workplaces that are welcoming to people from all walks of life. These values emphasize the respect of individual differences and fair treatment of all people, regardless of race, gender, age, sexual orientation or other factors.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/behavioral-competencies/global-and-cultural-effectiveness/pages/12-ways-companies-are-boosting-their-dei.aspx">implementation of DEI measures</a> varies across organizations, with strategies ranging from policies that ensure the fair treatment of workers of color to training and the establishment of <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/effective-employee-resource-groups-are-key-to-inclusion-at-work-heres-how-to-get-them-right">employee resource groups</a>, which are internal communities built around workers’ shared identities or interests. Examples include networks for women, people of color or veterans. </p>
<p>While strategies may vary, DEI is in wide use across corporate America. <a href="https://www.hrdive.com/news/2022-fortune-companies-dei/627651/#:%7E:text=As%20of%20at%20least%20July,to%20diversity%2C%20equity%20and%20inclusion">Every Fortune 100 company</a> listed some kind of DEI initiative on its website as of July 2022, and a <a href="https://www.hrpolicy.org/insight-and-research/resources/2021/hrpa/12/press-release/">2021 survey</a> found that 82% of chief human resource officers said DEI was their foremost concern. </p>
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<img alt="a woman holding a sign protests outside of the Supreme Court building amid several other affirmative action-related signs" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545112/original/file-20230828-26-uerino.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545112/original/file-20230828-26-uerino.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545112/original/file-20230828-26-uerino.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545112/original/file-20230828-26-uerino.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545112/original/file-20230828-26-uerino.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545112/original/file-20230828-26-uerino.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545112/original/file-20230828-26-uerino.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Some believe corporate diversity programs will be targeted next after the Supreme Court in June 2023 ended affirmative action in college admissions.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/SupremeCourtAffirmativeAction/30fcf455c5844ff5be44c519266cd4d2/photo?Query=affirmative%20action%20supreme%20court&mediaType=photo&sortBy=&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=31&currentItemNo=1&vs=true">AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana</a></span>
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</figure>
<h2>Broad benefits of DEI</h2>
<p>Numerous studies on diversity, equity and inclusion policies have found them to have many positive impacts on corporate performance. </p>
<p>Consulting company McKinsey in May 2020 reviewed data on over 1,000 companies in 15 countries and found that the “<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/%7E/media/McKinsey/Featured%20Insights/Diversity%20and%20Inclusion/Diversity%20wins%20How%20inclusion%20matters/Diversity-wins-How-inclusion-matters-vF.pdf">business case for inclusion and diversity is stronger than ever</a>.” </p>
<p>Its analysis showed that in 2019 companies in the top quartile in terms of ethnic and cultural diversity were 36% more likely to report above-average profits than those at the bottom, slightly better than in 2014. And companies with the most gender diversity among executives were 25% more likely to outperform the market, up from 15% in 2014. </p>
<p>A 2019 study that analyzed workforce diversity in the U.S. federal government found that racial diversity <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1177/0091026019848458">is significantly and positively related</a> to organizational performance.</p>
<p>One of the reasons DEI initiatives have a positive impact is because workers appreciate them. For example, a survey conducted in early 2023 found that most employees – 56% – <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/05/17/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-workplace/">think it’s a good thing</a> if their company is focused on DEI.</p>
<h2>Talking up DEI</h2>
<p>But my own work suggests that getting many of these benefits from DEI initiatives may depend on how well employers are communicating their efforts to workers. In 2021, colleagues Sunny Qin, Renee Mitson, Patrick Thelen and I <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1080/1062726X.2023.2222859">conducted an online survey</a> with 657 full-time employees across 27 industries in the U.S. We published the findings in June 2023. </p>
<p>We asked respondents how well they thought their employers communicated around the topic of diversity, including efforts to promote a diverse workforce. We also assessed participants’ engagement in their companies as well as the employees’ <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1740-8784.2007.00082.x">cultural intelligence</a>, or the ability to interact and adapt across cultures. We then used a statistical technique called <a href="https://www.statisticssolutions.com/free-resources/directory-of-statistical-analyses/structural-equation-modeling/">structural equation modeling analysis</a> to spot relationships between all their answers. </p>
<p>We found that the employees who worked for companies that talked more about their commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment were also more engaged in their work. This was also correlated with higher levels of cultural intelligence, and together they contributed to a more inclusive work environment. </p>
<p>Importantly, we found that this effect was strongest for racial minorities, whose level of engagement was more highly correlated with how well their employer created an inclusive climate than for white people in our survey. </p>
<h2>Valued and included</h2>
<p>Overall, our study supports the notion that employees still value and appreciate their companies’ focus on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. </p>
<p>And as we found, a more diverse and inclusive work environment leads to a more engaged workforce when companies continually communicate about their stance, values and commitment to DEI. Such communications signal to employees that their employers hear their voices and stand with them. </p>
<p>Having a diverse and inclusive workplace isn’t just about checking off boxes. It’s about making sure everyone feels valued and included.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208727/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rita Men does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Policies that foster diversity, equity and inclusion have been shown to have many positive operational impacts − including leading to more worker engagement.Rita Men, Professor of Public Relations and Director of Internal Communication Research, University of FloridaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2111082023-08-15T06:03:17Z2023-08-15T06:03:17ZResearch reveals who’s been hit hardest by global warming in their lifetime - and the answer may surprise you<p>Earth is warming and the signs of climate change are everywhere. We’ve seen it in the past few weeks as temperatures hit record highs around the world – both in the Northern Hemisphere and the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-is-australia-having-such-a-warm-winter-a-climate-expert-explains-210693">warm Australian winter</a>.</p>
<p>Global warming is caused by humanity’s greenhouse gas emissions, which continue at <a href="https://theconversation.com/global-carbon-emissions-at-record-levels-with-no-signs-of-shrinking-new-data-shows-humanity-has-a-monumental-task-ahead-193108">near-record pace</a>. These emissions are predominantly generated by people in the world’s wealthiest regions.</p>
<p>Our world-first analysis, <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2752-5295/aceff2">published today</a>, examines the experience of global warming over the lifetimes of people around the world: young and old, rich and poor. We sought to identify who has perceived warmer temperatures most keenly.</p>
<p>We found middle-aged people in equatorial regions have lived through the most perceptible warming in their lifetimes. But many young people in lower-income countries could experience unrecognisable changes in their local climate later in life, unless the world rapidly tackles climate change.</p>
<h2>Measuring the climate change experience</h2>
<p>We examined temperature data and population demographics information from around the world.</p>
<p>Key to our analysis was the fact that not all warming is due to human activity. Some of it is caused by natural, year-to-year variations in Earth’s climate. </p>
<p>These natural ups and downs are due to a number of factors. They include variations in the energy Earth receives from the sun, the effects of volcanic eruptions, and transfers of heat between the atmosphere and the ocean.</p>
<p>This variability is stronger in mid-to-high-latitude parts of the world (those further from the equator) than in low-latitude areas (in equatorial regions). That’s because the weather systems further away from the equator draw in hot or cold air from neighbouring areas, but equatorial areas don’t receive cold air at all.</p>
<p>That’s why, for example, the annual average temperature in New York is naturally more variable than in the city of Kinshasa (in the Democratic Republic of Congo). </p>
<p>To account for this, we applied what’s known as the “<a href="https://archive.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/tar/wg1/346.htm#:%7E:text=The%20%EF%BF%BDsignal%20to%20noise,to%20this%20natural%20variability%20noise.">signal-to-noise ratio</a>” at each location we studied. That allowed us to separate the strength of the climate change “signal” from the “noise” of natural variability. </p>
<p>Making this distinction is important. The less naturally variable the temperature, the clearer the effects of warming. So warming in Kinshasa over the past 50 years has been much more perceptible than in New York.</p>
<p>Our study examined two central questions. First, we wanted to know, for every location in the world, how clearly global warming could be perceived, relative to natural temperature variability.</p>
<p>Second, we wanted to know where this perceived change was most clear over human lifetimes. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541474/original/file-20230807-17-ogjdti.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Annual-average temperatures at four major cities with signal-to-noise ratios shown for 20, 50 and 80 years up to 2021." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541474/original/file-20230807-17-ogjdti.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541474/original/file-20230807-17-ogjdti.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541474/original/file-20230807-17-ogjdti.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541474/original/file-20230807-17-ogjdti.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541474/original/file-20230807-17-ogjdti.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541474/original/file-20230807-17-ogjdti.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541474/original/file-20230807-17-ogjdti.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Annual-average temperatures at four major cities with signal-to-noise ratios shown for 20, 50 and 80 years up to 2021.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span></span>
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</figure>
<h2>Our results</h2>
<p>So what did we find? As expected, the most perceptible warming is found in tropical regions – those near the equator. This includes developing parts of the world that constitute the Global South – such as Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia.</p>
<p>Household incomes in the Global South are typically lower than in industrialised nations (known as the Global North). We might, then, conclude people in the poorest parts of the world have experienced the most perceptible global warming over their lifetimes. But that’s not always the case.</p>
<p>Why? Because most parts of the Global South have younger populations than wealthier regions. And some people under the age of 20, including in northern India and parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, haven’t experienced warming over their lifetimes.</p>
<p>In these places, the lack of recent warming is likely down to a few factors: natural climate variability, and the local cooling effect of particles released into the atmosphere from <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ac3b7a">pollution</a> and changes in land use.</p>
<p>There’s another complication. Some populated regions of the world also experienced slight cooling in the mid-20th century, primarily driven by human-caused <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature10946">aerosol emissions</a>.</p>
<p>So, many people born earlier than the 1950s have experienced less perceptible warming in their local area than those born in the 1960s and 1970s. This may seem counter-intuitive. But a cooling trend in the first few decades of one’s life means the warming experienced over an entire lifespan (from birth until today) is smaller and less detectable.</p>
<p>So what does all this mean? People in equatorial areas born in the 1960s and 1970s – now aged between about 45 and 65 – have experienced more perceptible warming than anyone else on Earth.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/tourists-flock-to-the-mediterranean-as-if-the-climate-crisis-isnt-happening-this-years-heat-and-fire-will-force-change-210282">Tourists flock to the Mediterranean as if the climate crisis isn't happening. This year's heat and fire will force change</a>
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<h2>Rich countries must act</h2>
<p>Our findings are important, for several reasons.</p>
<p>Identifying who has experienced significant global warming in their lives may help explain <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nclimate2660">attitudes to tackling climate change</a>.</p>
<p>Our findings also raise significant issues of fairness and equity.</p>
<p>Humanity will continue to warm the planet until we reach global net-zero emissions. This means many young people in lower-income countries may, later in life, experience a local climate that is unrecognisable to that of their youth. </p>
<p>Of course, warming temperatures are not the only way people experience climate change. Others include sea-level rise, more intense drought and rainfall extremes. We know many of these impacts are felt most acutely by <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2022/5/11/climate-change-is-devastating-the-global-south">the most vulnerable populations</a>.</p>
<p>Cumulative greenhouse gas emissions are much higher in the Global North, due to economic development. To address this inequality, rich industrialised nations must take a leading role in reducing emissions to net-zero, and helping vulnerable countries adapt to climate change.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-is-australia-having-such-a-warm-winter-a-climate-expert-explains-210693">Why is Australia having such a warm winter? A climate expert explains</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211108/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew King receives funding from the National Environmental Science Program. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ed Hawkins receives funding from the UK Natural Environment Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hunter Douglas receives funding from New Zealand's Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Luke Harrington receives funding from New Zealand's Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) and Health Research Council. </span></em></p>Middle-aged people in equatorial regions have lived through the most perceptible warming in their lifetimes. But many others may experience unrecognisable changes in their local climate later in life.Andrew King, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science, The University of MelbourneEd Hawkins, Professor of Climate Science, University of ReadingHunter Douglas, PhD Candidate, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of WellingtonLuke Harrington, Senior Lecturer in Climate Change, University of WaikatoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2088332023-08-07T20:02:03Z2023-08-07T20:02:03Z6 reasons Australians don’t trust economists, and how we could do better<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541239/original/file-20230804-21-5pfabx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=321%2C186%2C1474%2C594&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">DALL·E/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Economics is about organising markets in ways that contribute to social welfare, which means anyone interested in anything from inequality to housing affordability, to health and education systems, or climate change to gender gaps ought to be interested in it.</p>
<p>But economists are far from the most trusted professionals. We are apparently among the <a href="https://kingcenter.stanford.edu/news/abhijit-banerjee-good-economics-hard-times">least-trusted</a> in the US and <a href="https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/ipsos-veracity-index-2020-trust-in-professions">midway</a> down the ranking in the United Kingdom.</p>
<p>In Australia, such surveys on our most trusted professions <a href="https://www.governanceinstitute.com.au/advocacy/ethics-index/">don’t include</a> <a href="https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/roy-morgan-image-of-professions-survey-2021-in-a-year-dominated-by-covid-19-health-professionals-including-nurses-doctors-and-pharmacists-are-the-most-highly-regarded-but-almost-all-professions-d">economists</a>, which itself is noteworthy. </p>
<p>Nevertheless, it’s worth reflecting on why Australians may distrust economists, and the ways in which economics can better serve Australia.</p>
<h2>1: Weak diversity and reflexivity</h2>
<p>Diversity is imperative for a field that helps make decisions about the allocation of resources.</p>
<p>At <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/bulletin/2020/jun/why-study-or-not-study-economics-a-survey-of-high-school-students.html">high school</a>, economics students are increasingly male, and concentrated in metropolitan and high socio-economic status locations. </p>
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<p>Only 0.5% of Indigenous graduates identified economics or econometrics as their main discipline in the 2021 census. </p>
<p>Two-thirds of the Australians employed as economists are <a href="https://labourmarketinsights.gov.au/occupation-profile/economists?occupationCode=2243">male</a>, and although university economics departments have improved recently, they are still notoriously <a href="https://genderinstitute.anu.edu.au/gess/academic-appointments-in-economics-in-Australia">male-dominated</a>.</p>
<p>Compounding this is that – unlike other social sciences – mainstream economics is not a tradition where <a href="https://medicine.unimelb.edu.au/school-structure/medical-education/research/qualitative-journey/themes/reflexivity">reflexivity</a> is encouraged. </p>
<p>Reflexivity involves reflecting on one’s background and environment.</p>
<p>Nor are economists often encouraged to reflect on the role of power in the promotion of the ideas they and others espouse, including in the media.</p>
<h2>2: The media and conflicts of interest</h2>
<p>Economists span academia, government, private and not-for-profit sectors. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541224/original/file-20230804-21-llkzmp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541224/original/file-20230804-21-llkzmp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541224/original/file-20230804-21-llkzmp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=964&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541224/original/file-20230804-21-llkzmp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=964&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541224/original/file-20230804-21-llkzmp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=964&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541224/original/file-20230804-21-llkzmp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1211&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541224/original/file-20230804-21-llkzmp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1211&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541224/original/file-20230804-21-llkzmp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1211&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Banks are often quoted.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Westpac</span></span>
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<p>But those appearing in the media appear to come disproportionately from banks, other financial institutions, management consultancies and think tanks. Particularly worrying is that some think tanks do not disclose the identity of their donors. </p>
<p>The media seems uninterested in holding them to account for this. In contrast, all reputable academic journals (and <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541221/original/file-20230804-21-4t1zo2.png">The Conversation</a>) require authors to declare any potential conflicts of interest as a condition of publication. </p>
<p>Also worrying is that some think tanks seem particularly ideologically driven.</p>
<p>In my view, the media should be much more critical and discerning in its engagement with economists and potential conflicts of interest. </p>
<p>And more space should be made for academic and public-sector economists. </p>
<p>Choices as to who is quoted should be guided by informed attempts to identify genuine expertise, as well as by diversity considerations. The opposite approach, sensationalism, is irresponsible and detrimental to the public good. And it contributes to distrust in economists.</p>
<p>Equally, academic economists should strive to contribute more to national economic debates. A realignment of incentives within universities would help.</p>
<h2>3: Efficiency preferred to equity</h2>
<p>Decisions made by governments usually affect both the “size of the pie” (loosely, what economists call efficiency) and how it is shared (equity).</p>
<p>How to balance this trade-off is a question of values, about which economists have no special insight. But we are well placed to summarise the likely distributional implications of policies. </p>
<p>It is true that many economists are at the forefront of research on <a href="https://wid.world/">inequality</a>, but it is also true that economists often focus too much on efficiency. </p>
<p>It is rare for economists to explicitly discuss the implications of government decisions for both. Recent examples are debates about increases to the minimum wage and to JobKeeper payments in the context of containing inflation. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-case-for-boosting-jobseeker-for-all-younger-people-report-greater-financial-hardship-205015">The case for boosting JobSeeker for all: younger people report greater financial hardship</a>
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<h2>4: A heavy international focus</h2>
<p>Most of our best and most prominent economists were trained overseas, which is a double-edged sword. </p>
<p>We should continue to help top students to study at the world’s best institutions, and continue to recruit top economists globally. But we should accept that this can come with the price of reduced interest and engagement in Australian issues.</p>
<p>In my view we should balance this by also creating a truly world-class Australian postgraduate training system, perhaps through cross-institutional collaboration, drawing on strengths and creating economies of scale. </p>
<p>Such programs <a href="https://tinbergen.nl/graduate-program">run</a> <a href="https://www.parisschoolofeconomics.eu/en/teaching/phd-program-pse/">successfully</a> in Europe. This has been discussed many times by academics in Australia, but it requires government resolve to happen.</p>
<h2>5: Declining economics training</h2>
<p>It’s also hard to trust economics if you don’t understand it. </p>
<p>Year 12 enrolments in economics have fallen by about <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/bulletin/2020/jun/pdf/why-study-or-not-study-economics-a-survey-of-high-school-students.pdf">70%</a> since the 1990s. In New South Wales at least, economics has been mostly replaced by “business studies”.</p>
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<p>The study of economics has also declined strikingly compared to other fields at universities. </p>
<p>Census data shows that only 1% of university graduates under 40 specialised in economics, compared to 2.5% of those now in their 70s.</p>
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<p>Management and commerce degrees are much more popular, producing 23% of graduates across all ages. </p>
<p>While these degrees do include some economics, it is usually in only one or two compulsory units.</p>
<h2>6: Overconfidence</h2>
<p>While it was once said that every two economists had at least <a href="https://quotefancy.com/quote/939837/Winston-Churchill-If-you-put-two-economists-xin-a-room-you-get-two-opinions-unless-one-of">three opinions</a>, reflecting the inherent uncertainties in the discipline, economists seem very sure of themselves in the media. </p>
<p>A large dose of humility would help, and it would help build trust. </p>
<p>The media and consumers of the media should seek out the voices that acknowledge the necessary uncertainties.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208833/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Peter Siminski does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>I’m an economist – but I can see many reasons for Australians to distrust my profession. Here’s how we could start to make economists better serve all Australians.Peter Siminski, Professor of Economics, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2107802023-08-03T20:16:34Z2023-08-03T20:16:34ZWhy a Toronto high school principal’s death is wrongly linked to anti-racist training<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540866/original/file-20230802-24657-nrwsv2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=378%2C1260%2C5592%2C2404&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A social media narrative that anti-racism and equity work is to blame for a high school principal's death could mean challenges ahead for equity workers. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Christina Wocintech/Unsplash)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/why-a-toronto-high-school-principals-death-is-wrongly-linked-to-anti-racist-training" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Last month, a former Toronto school principal, <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/former-principal-who-sued-tdsb-over-alleged-bullying-during-anti-racism-training-dies-by-suicide/article_4b9f98a9-7394-5517-909b-c69eb581aec9.html">Richard Bilkszto, died by suicide</a>. Although the <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/why-do-people-commit-suicide">reasons for suicide are complex</a>, his family and lawyer released a statement linking his death to an anti-racism workshop he had attended. </p>
<p>Those ardently opposed to “woke politics” are now using Bilkszto’s tragic death to decry anti-racism and equity work. The Ontario Ministry of Education, led by Stephen Lecce, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/lecce-tdsb-principal-death-staff-review-1.6917432">has called the allegations “serious and disturbing” and plans to conduct a review of how anti-racism and equity work is done at school boards</a>. </p>
<p>The workshop Bilkszto attended was led by Kike Ojo-Thompson, CEO of the KOJO Institute. <a href="https://kojoinstitute.com/statement-from-kojo-institute-ceo-july-27-2023/">Ojo-Thompson</a> has called the death of Bilkszto a tragedy. Ojo-Thompson was unaware that earlier this year, Bilkszto had filed a lawsuit against the school board concerning the anti-racism workshop she led about white supremacy.</p>
<p>As someone who has worked in the fields of equity, education and anti-racism, I understand both the importance and the burden of naming “racism” and “white supremacy” within institutions. It is crucial to support those who risk their reputations and livelihoods to do this naming.</p>
<p>I see the current media storm as a precedent-setting moment on the risks associated with institutional equity work. I believe it will also test Canadians’ commitment to doing the work needed to address racism. </p>
<p>The minister’s response as well as those by right-wing news media have helped to fuel a narrative that anti-racism and equity work is to blame. </p>
<h2>Anti-racism training denigrated by news media</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12356503/Toronto-schools-launches-probe-suicide-principal-Richard-Bilkszto-killed-bullied-harassed-following-dust-KOJO-Institute-anti-racism-trainer-Kike-Ojo-Thompson.html"><em>Daily Mail</em></a> described the investigation into Bilkszto’s death as one that will look into “whether the obsession with woke policies may have contributed” to his death.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://nationalpost.com/opinion/richard-bilkszto-cherished-merit-and-equality-canada-should-too"><em>National Post</em></a> wrote: “It’s no coincidence that Bilkszto came out humiliated” since “the DEI industry is designed to sell guilt and shame and perpetuate a culture of victimhood.” </p>
<p>The <a href="https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/lilley-ontario-orders-review-of-school-training-after-principal-dies"><em>Toronto Sun</em></a> has suggested there is need to look at “the general issue of diversity, equity and inclusion training” concluding “reform may be sorely needed.”</p>
<h2>Equity work disrupts ‘safe spaces’</h2>
<p><a href="https://canadacouncil.ca/glossary/equity">Equity</a> training aims to address practices that sustain institutional inequities. It begins with the acknowledgement of both historical and contemporary inequities and the premise that such work is needed to bring about equity.</p>
<p>Even at its mildest, equity work involves taking some people outside of their comfort zone. But equity work at its most meaningful involves getting people to recognize that their comfort zone has depended on other people’s silence and marginalization.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman stands at a board pointing at sticky notes, a group of people sit in front of her." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540867/original/file-20230802-17-yvpt1u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540867/original/file-20230802-17-yvpt1u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540867/original/file-20230802-17-yvpt1u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540867/original/file-20230802-17-yvpt1u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540867/original/file-20230802-17-yvpt1u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540867/original/file-20230802-17-yvpt1u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540867/original/file-20230802-17-yvpt1u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Equity training takes people outside of their comfort zones.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Jason Goodman/Unsplash)</span></span>
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<p>Yet equity work is often conducted within the context of a market-based relationship, where client priorities dictate the boundaries of change and disruptiveness. These boundaries are frequently constructed around language choices — with terms like “diversity” and “inclusion” being permissible while, <a href="http://www.yorku.ca/lfoster/documents/Canadian_Experience_Rule_RDRJournal_FINAL.pdf">“racism” is deemed too polarizing</a>. </p>
<p>When wading into discussions about equity and racism, the practice of establishing guidelines has been a central strategy for mitigating the associated risks. This practice has often been described as building a “safe space.” But <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5b6af3b236099ba883a28b1e/t/5dcc5b2ae2b90a3c5af08fc5/1573673770842/From+Safe+Spaces+to+Brave+Spaces_2013.pdf">long-time social justice educators, Brian Arao and Kristi Clemens,</a> argue “that authentic learning about social justice often requires the very qualities of risk, difficulty and controversy that are defined as incompatible with safety.” This is especially the case when these conversations are taking place within the very institutions that are being asked to confront their own racist and inequitable practices. </p>
<p>Safety also gets conflated with comfort when people expect these conversations not to be upsetting or difficult, or expect not to be held accountable for their comments. This is an impossible standard to set for conversations that challenge institutional norms and social inequities. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-the-two-pandemics-of-anti-black-racism-and-covid-19-are-tied-together/">McGill University political scientists Tari Ajadi and Debra Thompson</a> describe this type of racism as “simultaneously individualistic and systemic.” Discussing racist systems requires reference to tangible individual instances of racism to illustrate how racism is reproduced. </p>
<p>Sometimes this is met with tears and sometimes this is met with defensiveness. For example, in a training I once conducted, a white woman cried when she realized that she had been using language to describe Black children which I explained reiterates racialized stereotypes that harm and dehumanize Black people. </p>
<p>Even when we try to make intentional language choices, such as “address the comment, not the speaker,” the illustration of racism will feel personal for those whose behaviour is implicated. </p>
<p>In her column for the <em>Toronto Star</em>, journalist <a href="https://www.thestar.com/opinion/star-columnists/a-toronto-principal-s-suicide-was-wrongly-linked-to-anti-racism-training-here-s-what/article_52f30ce3-e754-5947-a754-91746b8af7ce.html">Shree Paradkar</a>, carefully delineated between the ideas of “upholding white supremacy” and “calling someone a white supremacist” in her review of Ojo-Thompson’s words in the session recordings. But this delineation fails to satisfy <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkay/status/1684758380055814144">those avowedly anti-woke commentators</a> for whom the language of racism and white supremacy is always considered unspeakable.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-be-a-mindful-anti-racist-147551">How to be a mindful anti-racist</a>
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<h2>The unspeakability of racism</h2>
<p>Following the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/08/16/902179773/summer-of-racial-reckoning-the-match-lit#:%7E:text=Summer%20of%20Racial%20Reckoning%20explores,civil%20rights%20icons%20see%20it.">2020 “summer of racial reckoning</a>,” almost every sector in Canada was compelled to initiate equity work. Many developed <a href="https://www.expresspros.com/CA/Newsroom/Canada-Employed/Fewer-Than-Half-of-Canadian-Companies-Have-Diversity-Equity-and-Inclusion-Policy.aspx?&referrer=http://www.expresspros.com/CanadaEmployed/">Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) policies</a>, and several demonstrated a willingness to have <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/systemic-racism-discrimination/anti-racism-toolkit/courageous-conversations-guide.html">difficult conversations on racism</a>. </p>
<p>Since then, the perceived urgency of this equity work has been steadily waning, yet the resistance to this work has remained forceful. </p>
<p>Equity studies scholar <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/canadian-journal-of-law-and-society-la-revue-canadienne-droit-et-societe/article/abs/unspeakability-of-racism-mapping-laws-complicity-in-manitobas-racialized-spaces/22CDD014685783D6A9CD87144E265D4D">Sheila Dawn Gill</a> offered the term “unspeakability of racism” to describe the barriers to naming racism within Canadian spaces. She used the example of the silencing of the late Cree politician, Oscar Lathlin, for using the term “racist.” This silencing was again applied to current NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh’s use of “<a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/pov-racism-white-fragility-1.5619647">unparliamentary language</a>.” </p>
<p>Broad acceptance of the reality of systemic racism is meaningless if it cannot be applied towards understanding how racism is enacted both individually and institutionally through comments, actions and specific circumstances. Institutional commitments to anti-racism are meaningless if they do not extend support and care to those doing this work.</p>
<p>Two decades ago, Canadian political scientist <a href="https://www.academia.edu/5741567/Smith_Race_Matters_and_Race_Manners_">Malinda Smith</a> described how the “race manners” of Canada continue to support the suppression of the naming of racism and obscure the way that race continues to matter throughout Canadian institutions. </p>
<p>The vilification of Ojo-Thompson for talking about white supremacy demonstrates the enduring hold of Canada’s race manners, even in the wake of our collective racial reckoning. </p>
<p><em>If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, you need to know you’re not alone. If your life or someone else’s is in danger, call 911 for emergency services. Or, call <a href="https://talksuicide.ca/">Talk Suicide Canada</a> at 1-833-456-4566.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210780/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nicole Bernhardt has previously received payment for equity and anti-racism training from government, non-profit, and private institutions. She has never worked with, or received payment from, the KOJO Institute. She has also received an Ontario Grant Scholarship and the Abella Scholarship for Studies in Equity.</span></em></p>The media storm that is building on equity work after the death of a Toronto school principal will test Canadians’ commitment to doing the work needed to be done to address racism.Nicole Bernhardt, Assistant Professor, Political Science, University of TorontoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2102692023-07-25T20:05:47Z2023-07-25T20:05:47ZWhat are enabling programs? How do they help Australians get to uni?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539115/original/file-20230724-17-lvf4zi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C42%2C4012%2C2960&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>One of Education Minister Jason Clare’s top priorities for the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-job-ready-graduates-scheme-for-uni-fees-is-on-the-chopping-block-but-what-will-replace-it-209974">Universities Accord</a> is encouraging more Australians to go to university. As he <a href="https://www.jasonclare.com.au/media/transcripts/5559-national-press-club-q-a-canberra-wednesday-19-july-2023">notes</a>, “more jobs are going to require a university qualification in the years ahead”. </p>
<p>Alongside this call is the recognition we need to improve access for people from equity cohorts - including Indigenous Australians, those from low socioeconomic and regional and rural backgrounds and people with a disability. </p>
<p>As the accord’s <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/australian-universities-accord/resources/accord-interim-report">interim report notes</a>, we need a higher education system that no longer prevents “talented people from attaining life-changing qualifications”.</p>
<p>One way to do this is through enabling programs.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-universities-accord-could-see-the-most-significant-changes-to-australian-unis-in-a-generation-194738">The universities accord could see the most significant changes to Australian unis in a generation</a>
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<h2>What are enabling programs?</h2>
<p>Enabling programs are run by universities and taught by academics and are also known as “foundation” or “bridging” programs. They are non-award courses (meaning they don’t lead to a degree or other qualification) and aim to prepare students for undergraduate study. </p>
<p>They are not part of secondary school and can run for anywhere between about four weeks to two years. Most students study for about six months. </p>
<p>Many are available both on campus and online, with the option of full-time or part-time study.</p>
<p>The accord interim report calls for funding stability for the university sector for 2024 and 2025. It also says university funding for these years should be “directed towards a range of assistance, such as increased support for students in enabling courses”.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Three students work at desks in a classroom." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539138/original/file-20230725-25-zu95a3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539138/original/file-20230725-25-zu95a3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539138/original/file-20230725-25-zu95a3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539138/original/file-20230725-25-zu95a3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539138/original/file-20230725-25-zu95a3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539138/original/file-20230725-25-zu95a3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539138/original/file-20230725-25-zu95a3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Enabling programs are also known as ‘foundation’ or ‘bridging’ programs.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<h2>What do they teach?</h2>
<p>The programs are designed to build a range of skills and knowledge students need to succeed in further study.</p>
<p>Courses cover a <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/pdf/10.3316/aeipt.223411?casa_token=g20Wyzk6N_YAAAAA%3AwhVuxTE5GxoO7XnDXdsGvb9zSurmL-HmzHA5jkRnjneXvmt_pBc3APASgtqT5rbx39hyphcCwX1oGPzA">wide range topics</a>, from generalised study skills to preparation for a specific degree.</p>
<p>Enabling programs can teach academic writing, library research, foundational mathematics, study skills and discipline-specific knowledge. </p>
<p>For example, if a student is interested in gaining entry to a nursing degree, they will need academic communication skills, mathematics, anatomy and digital skills. A future psychology student could benefit from skills and knowledge in social science and statistics. </p>
<h2>Who are they for?</h2>
<p>Enabling programs are for anyone who needs further preparation before starting university. Commonly, this includes students who left school early, did not get a university entrance rank or did not do as well as they hoped in Year 12.</p>
<p>When applying to university, students can preference enabling programs as a viable “plan B” if they don’t receive an undergraduate offer. </p>
<p>Enrolments in enabling programs <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/higher-education-statistics/resources/student-enrolments-pivot-table">have grown </a>from 6,490 students in 2001 to 32,579 in 2020. A large proportion of students come from disadvantaged backgrounds. </p>
<p>For example, <a href="https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Final-Pathways-to-Higher-Education-The-Efficacy-of-Enabling-and-Sub-Bachelor-Pathways-for-Disadvantaged-Students.pdf">32% of students</a> in enabling programs are from low socioeconomic backgrounds, which is double the proportion of undergraduate students.</p>
<p>Of the 48 enabling programs in Australia, 15 are explicitly for Indigenous students, who represent approximately <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/higher-education-statistics/resources/2020-section-6-indigenous-students">6% of all enabling program enrolments</a>. This is more than double comparative undergraduate enrolments. </p>
<p>More <a href="https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Final-Pathways-to-Higher-Education-The-Efficacy-of-Enabling-and-Sub-Bachelor-Pathways-for-Disadvantaged-Students.pdf">than a third</a> of enabling course students are from regional and remote areas.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/these-5-equity-ideas-should-be-at-the-heart-of-the-universities-accord-203418">These 5 equity ideas should be at the heart of the Universities Accord</a>
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<h2>How can you access one?</h2>
<p>Universities have enabling programs on their websites and in their program guides for future students.</p>
<p>They are supported by federal funding so they can be offered free to students. </p>
<p>Depending on the program, you can apply directly to the university or through state-based tertiary admissions centres, at the time when you nominate your university preferences. </p>
<h2>Why are they so important?</h2>
<p>Australian studies <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/abs/10.3316/informit.622093343833841">show</a> students who complete enabling programs <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07294360.2021.1990222">do just as well in undergraduate study</a> as students who enter via traditional pathways, such as directly from high school.</p>
<p>Enabling programs are effective because they are <a href="https://www.newcastle.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/462272/Enabling-Pedagogies-Research-Report.pdf">designed to meet the needs of students</a> who want a university qualification but have experienced educational disadvantage. They focus not only on academic skills but also on <a href="https://www.newcastle.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/243992/CAPABILITY-ONLINE.pdf">building confidence</a> to study. </p>
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<h2>How can we improve them?</h2>
<p>In the final Universities Accord report due in December, enabling educators want to see <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/australian-universities-accord/consultations/consultation-accord-terms-reference/submission/15128">several changes</a> to the way the system works, to make sure anyone who needs this help to go to university can access it. </p>
<p>This means fee-free places need to be demand-driven, with flexible funding to match fluctuations in student enrolments and allowing universities to increase enabling places as demand grows.</p>
<p>In addition to existing payments such as Austudy and ABSTUDY, there should be further financial support for disadvantaged students doing these courses. Students from low socioeconomic backgrounds are over-represented in enabling programs, and struggle find adequate study time while <a href="http://www.ncsehe.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/55_Federation_MarciaDevlin_Accessible_PDF.pdf">balancing family and financial commitments</a>. </p>
<p>We would also like to see enabling qualifications <a href="https://studentsuccessjournal.org/article/view/2841/1385">included</a> in the <a href="https://www.aqf.edu.au">Australian Qualifications Framework</a>, which regulates education and training qualifications.</p>
<p>This would ensure formal recognition of a student’s achievement and then give them flexibility about which university they enrol in, because it would be recognised Australia-wide. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/uncapping-uni-places-for-indigenous-students-is-a-step-in-the-right-direction-but-we-must-do-much-more-208918">Uncapping uni places for Indigenous students is a step in the right direction, but we must do much more</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210269/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sarah Kate Hattam a member of the Executive Committee of the National Association of Enabling Educators of Australia.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Charmaine Davis is an executive member of the National Association of Enabling Educators of Australia.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tanya Weiler does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The Universities Accord wants to make sure ‘talented people’ do not miss out on getting ‘life-changing qualifications’. This is where enabling programs can help.Sarah Kate Hattam, Senior Lecturer at Education Futures University of South Australia, University of South AustraliaCharmaine Davis, Lecturer in Academic Communication and Humanities, University of Southern QueenslandTanya Weiler, Senior Lecturer, University of South AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2097812023-07-19T20:45:09Z2023-07-19T20:45:09ZFIFA Women’s World Cup: Professional women athletes are still fighting for equitable sponsorship<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/538124/original/file-20230718-19-9jgo3e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=129%2C9%2C1946%2C1147&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A United States women's national team member takes a shot during a FIFA Women's World Cup send-off soccer match in San Jose, Calif., on July 9, 2023. Sponsorship and marketing deals with women athletes are often performative and exploitative.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Josie Lepe)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/fifa-womens-world-cup-professional-women-athletes-are-still-fighting-for-equitable-sponsorship" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>The 2023 Women’s World Cup is <a href="https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/organisers-target-record-viewership-2023-womens-world-cup-australia-fa-boss-2023-01-27/">projected to be the most-watched</a> in tournament history and has seen a massive <a href="https://advanced-television.com/2023/07/17/report-womens-world-cup-to-net-308m-in-sponsorship/">surge in sponsor interest</a>.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/soccer/article-the-womens-soccer-economy-is-exploding-despite-the-critics/">growth in commercial investment</a> of women’s soccer is deserved and overdue. Yet, sponsorship and marketing deals with many women athletes are performative at best as women’s national soccer teams <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/article-the-nasty-dispute-lurking-behind-the-canadian-womens-world-cup/">continue to fight for equitable investment from their federations</a>.</p>
<p>Sponsorship is a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/16184742.2016.1171375">mutually beneficial exchange of value</a> between multiple parties involving commercial potential. Because <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fifa-champion-worked-at-amazon-female-soccer-players-higher-pay-2021-7">many professional women athletes already work multiple jobs to earn a living wage</a>, some are forced to accept unfair deals. </p>
<p>In addition, many corporations are able to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0193723515615349">cultivate a positive public image</a> while exploiting women’s labour.</p>
<h2>Losing sponsorship and labour exploitation</h2>
<p>As part of our recent sport management research into this issue, we worked with current professional women soccer players from the United Kingdom (Women’s Championship and Women’s Super League) and the United States (National Women’s Soccer League) who had a sponsorship deal at one time in their careers.</p>
<p>Because our study was centred on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2016.10.002">storytelling as a form of research</a>, we will share some excerpts from the soccer players we spoke to that highlight the inequities women continue to face in sport. </p>
<p>We also worked with average professional athletes, rather than the upmost elite who have multiple lucrative partnership deals. These average athletes still played in the world’s top leagues, but were not as widely recognized as the top players of their sports.</p>
<h2>Olivia’s story of losing sponsorship</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="The arms of a goalkeeper pick up a soccer ball from a field" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/538126/original/file-20230718-7854-fmur8p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/538126/original/file-20230718-7854-fmur8p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538126/original/file-20230718-7854-fmur8p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538126/original/file-20230718-7854-fmur8p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538126/original/file-20230718-7854-fmur8p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538126/original/file-20230718-7854-fmur8p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538126/original/file-20230718-7854-fmur8p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A goalkeeper picks up the ball before a FIFA Women’s World Cup send-off soccer match in San Jose, Calif., on July 9, 2023.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Josie Lepe)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Olivia is a professional footballer in her mid-twenties who competes in England’s tier one Women’s Super League. While she does not currently have a personal sponsor, she formerly had a partnership with a large shoe and athletic apparel brand that ended abruptly after she changed teams. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Right now, I currently don’t have a sponsor. In men’s soccer, players in the top three leagues will have [brand deals] whereas in women’s soccer it might only be the top players. </p>
<p>I’ve been fortunate because when I signed my first professional contract, I did gain a two-year deal with [a brand]. That being said, I remember trying to get shin pads for the season, and it took about three months just to get a pair. </p>
<p>On Instagram they were like “Olivia this, Olivia that,” but I’d wait a long time for the essentials. The next season I moved teams, and they pulled the sponsorship.</p>
<p>They said the team I was playing for wasn’t what they would class as “tier one” football, even though it was. They were a second-tier club in the men’s game, but the top in the women’s league. I wasn’t expecting it to end and it was brutal.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Olivia’s story reveals how the majority of professional women’s soccer players rarely receive sponsorship deals. Despite moving to a higher ranked women’s club, Olivia’s sponsorship criteria was based on the equivalent men’s team, which was a tier lower. </p>
<p>Sponsors continue to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1123/ssj.12.4.347">gain positive brand recognition</a> from fans looking to support corporations that endorse women’s sport. Yet, despite this public persona, corporations do not always <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0193723515615349">meaningfully invest in women athletes</a>.</p>
<p>While the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795211003524">significant lack of media coverage</a> afforded to women’s sports may not allow a breadth of professional athletes to be widely known, the women we interviewed believed men players at all levels received unquestioned sponsorship while they had to fight to be seen as valuable despite the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizelting/2023/07/12/going-for-gold-womens-sports-are-profitable-when-brands-media-and-broadcast-buy-in/?sh=53a844a9125d">surging profitability of women’s sports</a>.</p>
<h2>Morgan’s story of labour exploitation</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An over-the-shoulder shot of a person taking a photo of a food dish on a kitchen counter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/538134/original/file-20230718-15-3ut9lp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/538134/original/file-20230718-15-3ut9lp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538134/original/file-20230718-15-3ut9lp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538134/original/file-20230718-15-3ut9lp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538134/original/file-20230718-15-3ut9lp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538134/original/file-20230718-15-3ut9lp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538134/original/file-20230718-15-3ut9lp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">One athlete had an unpaid sponsorship deal with a meal prep service.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Morgan is a professional footballer in her early twenties who competes in England’s tier one Women’s Super League alongside her country’s national team. While she does not currently have a sponsor, she recently completed her first career sponsorship with a meal prep company. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Recently, I did have a food sponsorship deal, that meal prep stuff. It isn’t paid, but I just need to post twice a month when I receive the food and I get to keep all of my meals for free. I actually thought they would make me still pay, but instead they gave me a discount code to give out to other people. </p>
<p>Before I had a sponsorship deal, I thought you had to have a certain look. Like the perfect body. But that’s changed; it’s more how good you are at your actual sport and how active you are on social media. </p>
<p>So far, they’ve been happy with what I’m doing and repost what I do since it’s easier for them to not have to make their own content. At the moment, we have to really prove ourselves to get recognized. So, when we do get media opportunities, it’s something everyone jumps at, even if it’s a two-hour drive away.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Morgan’s story reflects a positive shift away from the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2017.1365696">over-sexualization of women athletes</a>. Rather than being primarily valued for her physical appearance, Morgan’s athletic ability was recognized as being valuable on its own.</p>
<p>But it also reveals that women athletes are expected to perform the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1469540517747068">unpaid labour of creating digital partnership content</a>. </p>
<p>Corporate sponsors of women’s sports <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2019.1668463">experience an increase in consumer intent to purchase their products or services</a> around their supposedly equitable brands. But these sponsorship deals are not as equitable as they seem because the women athletes receive little to no financial compensation for their work. </p>
<h2>Current state of women’s sports marketing</h2>
<p>Despite women’s sport traditionally receiving only one to two per cent of global sport sponsorship dollars, <a href="https://www.thestreet.com/sports/womens-sports-becoming-bigger-business-better-investment">investment is exponentially increasing</a> as media coverage begins to meet consumer demand.</p>
<p>However, while previous sport sponsorship literature has <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2019.1668463">focused on men athletes</a> and mutually beneficial partnerships, it is clear that the power imbalances in women’s sport sponsorship reflect a different exploitative reality.</p>
<p>The state of marketing and sponsorship in women’s sport is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1469540517747068">far from equitable</a> — even though it may be portrayed as otherwise in media coverage. The women in our study discussed how male athletes receive substantial financial and brand-specific compensation for their sponsorship deals. In contrast, the women felt like they just had to be grateful for whatever they had been given.</p>
<p>While positive change has been seen, especially surrounding this year’s Women’s World Cup, there is still much work to be done by women’s soccer organizations and corporate sponsors to create a more equitable sporting future.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209781/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dawn Trussell receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and Sport Canada.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Laura Harris does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>While positive change has been seen, especially surrounding this year’s Women’s World Cup, there is still much work to be done by organizations governing women’s professional sports.Laura Harris, Research Assistant, Sport, Allyship, and Inclusion Lab, Brock UniversityDawn Trussell, Professor of Sport Management & Chancellor's Chair for Research Excellence, Brock UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2099742023-07-19T08:29:42Z2023-07-19T08:29:42ZThe Job-ready Graduates scheme for uni fees is on the chopping block – but what will replace it?<p>On Wednesday, Education Minister Jason Clare released a much-anticipated report on universities. This is the <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/australian-universities-accord/resources/accord-interim-report">interim report</a> of the Universities Accord review.</p>
<p>The review, commissioned in November 2022 and led by Professor Mary O'Kane, has been tasked with creating a “<a href="https://www.education.gov.au/australian-universities-accord">visionary plan</a>” for Australian higher education. It is examining everything from university governance, to research, teaching, international students and student wellbeing. </p>
<p>But one area of great interest is what will happen to the fees students pay to attend university. For domestic government-supported students, these are called “student contributions”. </p>
<p>The government and the review panel are also emphasising equity of access to higher education and the report suggests major changes to how university funding works. These changes would be invisible to students, but the goal is more people from disadvantaged backgrounds enrol in university and complete their degrees. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-universities-accord-could-see-the-most-significant-changes-to-australian-unis-in-a-generation-194738">The universities accord could see the most significant changes to Australian unis in a generation</a>
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<h2>Student fees are set to change (again)</h2>
<p>The interim report confirms the <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/job-ready">Job-ready Graduates</a> scheme for student fees be scrapped. This was introduced in 2021 by the Morrison government. </p>
<p>It was intended to steer students to courses that matched labour market demand (such as teaching or nursing) or other national priority areas (such as mathematics and foreign languages). Student contributions for these courses were discounted. </p>
<p>Other courses, notably arts degrees, saw price increases. The cost of most subjects more than doubled. </p>
<p>But this does not work. Along with other higher education policy analysts, <a href="https://theconversation.com/3-flaws-in-job-ready-graduates-package-will-add-to-the-turmoil-in-australian-higher-education-147740">I argue</a> student contributions only have small effects on student choices. The main practical consequence is some students will be burdened with HELP debts that take decades to repay, if they ever are repaid. </p>
<p>The accord review panel agrees, noting: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>the continuation of these current arrangements risk causing long-term and entrenched damage to Australian higher education.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Narrowing the list of alternative systems</h2>
<p>The review panel has delayed any firm recommendations on what will replace Job-ready Graduates until its December 2023 final report, but some version of a multi-rate system looks set to return. </p>
<p>So what happens now? One option is to reverse the worst of Job-ready Graduates, and take arts students and others affected by high student contributions back to their old rates. But this would be a disappointing response for a review supposed to come up with “big ideas”. As the interim report observes, a simple reversal would “cost in the order of A$1 billion a year”. </p>
<p>Some university interest groups suggest <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-universities-accord-should-scrap-job-ready-graduates-and-create-a-new-multi-rate-system-for-student-fees-203910">going back to a flat student contribution rate</a>, where every student pays the same fee. This was the system between 1989 and 1996. Students in longer degrees would still pay more, but the annual fee would be the same regardless of course. </p>
<p>Without fully ruling it out, the accord panel says this “risks unfair trade-offs”. Indigenous, regional, low socioeconomic status and female students would all pay more on average than they do now. This is because they are more likely to take courses that are currently discounted under Job-ready Graduates including nursing, teaching and agriculture. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-universities-accord-should-scrap-job-ready-graduates-and-create-a-new-multi-rate-system-for-student-fees-203910">The Universities Accord should scrap Job-ready Graduates and create a new multi-rate system for student fees</a>
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<h2>My proposal</h2>
<p>Other interest groups favour a system where student contributions are linked to expected future income. The interim report mentions this in a neutral way.</p>
<p>The interim report does not directly mention <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/australian-universities-accord/consultations/consultation-accord-terms-reference/submission/15035">my variant</a> of this, which is also based on expected future incomes and aims to narrow differences in HELP repayment times between courses. </p>
<p>This would require a greater focus on the total average debt a student accumulates before starting full-time work – recognising some courses take longer or are more likely to involve additional study.</p>
<p>My proposal would also take into account varying patterns of post-study income. Graduates of some courses can walk straight into well-paid jobs, while others take longer to find work and have lower initial salaries. These factors can have significant effects on repayment times.</p>
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<h2>More higher education opportunities</h2>
<p>Two key goals for the accord are to expand the higher education system to meet labour market skill needs and to provide more opportunities for people from disadvantaged backgrounds. The interim report suggests a target of parity in participation rates between the general population and people classified as low socioeconomic status, living in a regional area or with disability by 2035. </p>
<p>This is very unlikely. As Clare pointed out in his <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/clare/speech-national-press-club">National Press Club speech</a> on Wednesday, school results for some disadvantaged groups have been going backwards in recent years. He has other <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-national-school-reform-agreement-and-what-does-it-have-to-do-with-school-funding-202847">school-focused reviews</a> to address this, but the interim report cites no evidence such rapid change could be achieved in just over a decade. </p>
<p>They do, however, have many ideas for expanding opportunity. While short on detail, they propose a “universal learning entitlement” for tertiary education, including vocational and higher education. Currently anyone who meets university entry criteria is eligible for a government subsidised place and <a href="https://www.studyassist.gov.au/help-loans">a HELP loan</a>, but whether they receive it depends on whether a university will accept them. </p>
<p>As an interim measure, the government is <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/clare/australian-universities-accord-interim-report-and-immediate-actions">lifting funding caps for all Indigenous students</a>, not just those in rural and remote areas. </p>
<p>The accord panel also suggest the funding rate a university receives per student might be linked to student as well as course characteristics. This already happens in the school system. Existing <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/heppp">higher education programs</a> distribute fixed amounts of money between universities based on their share of enrolments of disadvantaged groups. But this funding is not linked to additional teaching and support costs. </p>
<p>These costs are potentially very large. They would also require substantial revision of current definitions of disadvantage. Two equity groups – low socioeconomic status and regional – are based purely on geographic measures. </p>
<p>They are OK as rough indicators of broad trends in the sector, but they are <a href="https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/explainer-measuring-disadvantage-at-a-household-level/">well-known to misclassify</a> the disadvantage level of individual students. To reach the people who need help, we will need more precise indicators. </p>
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<h2>What now?</h2>
<p>There is a huge amount of work and debate to happen between now and the end of the year. The interim report calls for advice on more than 70 policy ideas over 150 pages. The accord panel and Clare say they are are keeping their minds open. In his National Press Club address Clare specifically invited critique and alternatives. </p>
<p>Submissions containing these – or offering support – are <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/australian-universities-accord/consultations/consultation-interim-report">due by September 1</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209974/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Norton works for the Australian National University, which like all universities will be affected by policy change following Universities Accord recommendations.
He is also on a the Universities Accord ministerial reference group. This is an unpaid position. He was not involved in writing the Universities Accord interim report. </span></em></p>On Wednesday, Education Minister Jason Clare released a much-anticipated report on universities.Andrew Norton, Professor in the Practice of Higher Education Policy, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2055642023-05-28T20:05:10Z2023-05-28T20:05:10ZDIY degree? Why universities should make online educational materials free for all<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528465/original/file-20230526-7773-ctwlgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C26%2C5982%2C3961&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sam Lion/Pexels</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This article is part of our series on <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/universities-accord-big-ideas-137143">big ideas for the Universities Accord</a>. The federal government is calling for ideas to “reshape and reimagine higher education, and set it up for the next decade and beyond”. A review team is due to finish a draft report in June and a final report in December 2023.</em></p>
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<p>As part of the federal government’s bid to overhaul higher education, the Universities Accord <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/australian-universities-accord/resources/australian-universities-accord-panel-discussion-paper">discussion paper</a> is seeking to “widen” opportunities for people to access university. It also wants to “grow a culture” of lifelong learning in Australia. As the review team note, most people in Australia who study at university are under 35. </p>
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<p>Lifelong learning can help to ensure that workforce skills are up to date and that jobs in high demand can be filled, as well as enabling people to create new job opportunities through innovation.</p>
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<p>These issues need to be approached in many ways. And will inevitably include proposals for shorter forms of learning as well as addressing the financial cost of attending university.</p>
<p>My proposal – also outlined in this <a href="https://doi.org/10.1629/uksg.607">journal article</a> – is that a proportion of educational resources generated by publicly funded universities should be made public and freely available. </p>
<p>This could radically expand opportunity and flexibility and potentially allow students to design their own degrees, by doing multiple different units from different universities.</p>
<h2>This idea is not completely new</h2>
<p>There is a precedence for this idea. The international <a href="https://www.coalition-s.org/addendum-to-the-coalition-s-guidance-on-the-implementation-of-plan-s/principles-and-implementation/">Plan S</a> initiative is led by a group of national research funding organisations. Since 2018, it has been pushing for publicly funded research to be published in open-access journals or platforms.</p>
<p>Australian chief scientist Cathy Foley similarly <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-the-united-nations-new-open-science-framework-could-speed-up-the-pace-of-discovery-173148">wants all Australian research</a> to be “open access, domestically and internationally, and for research conducted overseas to be freely available to read in Australia”.</p>
<p>When it comes to university learning, a <a href="https://www.unesco.org/en/legal-affairs/recommendation-open-educational-resources-oer">2019 UNESCO report</a> encouraged member states to make higher education educational resources developed with public funds free and freely available. </p>
<p>In a <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/productivity/report">March 2023</a> report, the Productivity Commission recommended the federal government require “all universities to provide all lectures online and for free”. The commission said this would increase transparency in teaching performance and encourage online learning. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/these-5-equity-ideas-should-be-at-the-heart-of-the-universities-accord-203418">These 5 equity ideas should be at the heart of the Universities Accord</a>
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<p>But this also has the ability to make to higher education <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-16-6506-6">more accessible</a>. </p>
<p>There is already plenty of international experience sharing educational materials online – including the global Open Educational Resources <a href="https://www.oercommons.org">public digital library</a>. This includes resources from early learning through to adult education. </p>
<p>The Productivity Commission says universities would not lose income by making educational resources open access. This is because universities “sell” credentials, not resources. It is also argued overworked academics can save time by using materials created by others.</p>
<p>But there is <a href="https://er.educause.edu/articles/2021/7/recognizing-and-overcoming-obstacles-what-it-will-take-to-realize-the-potential-of-oer">resistance</a> from institutions and academics, including a perception free resources will be poor quality and take a lot of time to create. There is also a lack of technological tools to adapt resources. This may explain why open education has not yet taken off in Australia.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A mother works on her computer next to her young son." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528468/original/file-20230526-19537-1ky3ea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528468/original/file-20230526-19537-1ky3ea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528468/original/file-20230526-19537-1ky3ea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528468/original/file-20230526-19537-1ky3ea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528468/original/file-20230526-19537-1ky3ea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528468/original/file-20230526-19537-1ky3ea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528468/original/file-20230526-19537-1ky3ea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Making resources free will increase access to higher education in Australia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How would this work?</h2>
<p>My plan would require open online sites to host educational materials produced by academics. These would need to be moderated or curated and published under an <a href="https://creativecommons.org/">open access license</a>.</p>
<p>It would include a peer review system for educational materials like the one already used for research publications. Academics could get credit for publishing, updating or reviewing resources and the publication of education output would be included in the university metrics.</p>
<p>This could also help reverse the current downgrading of teaching in Australian universities in favour of research.</p>
<p>There could be three types of users: </p>
<ol>
<li><p>students who access materials through the university that produced them, as per current practice</p></li>
<li><p>individual students outside the university that created the materials who access materials for their own learning at whatever stage of life they are relevant to them</p></li>
<li><p>other organisations, including other universities, that then contextualise and deliver the materials to their students.</p></li>
</ol>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1653924999051321344"}"></div></p>
<h2>What kind of materials are we talking about?</h2>
<p>The Productivity Commission has talked about “lectures” being made available for free. But lectures are not a good way of transmitting information, especially online. For one thing, they <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hpe.2015.11.010">do not promote</a> critical thinking.</p>
<p>My plan proposes whole courses or at least sections of courses with assessments, would be provided. This includes text, videos and software and can include course planning materials and evaluation tools.</p>
<p>An indication of the academic level to which the course speaks, and the amount of possible credit, should also be provided.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-need-to-change-the-way-universities-assess-students-starting-with-these-3-things-203048">We need to change the way universities assess students, starting with these 3 things</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What about accreditation?</h2>
<p>Accreditation of learning should be considered as part of this.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://oeru.org/">OERu</a> is an international organisation where partner universities (including Penn State in the US and Curtin University in Australia) offer free access to online courses. Students pay reduced fees if they want to submit assignments, which can earn them microcredits towards a degree offered by one of the partners. </p>
<p>A more radical option would be to develop a system where students collect microcredits from whatever source they wish and present them to an accrediting body for an academic award rather than enrolling in a particular degree course.</p>
<h2>Suggested recommendations</h2>
<p>As it prepares its draft report, the accord review team should recommend:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>most university-generated educational material should be public and free</p></li>
<li><p>as an interim goal, within three years, 10% of all public university courses should be freely available online</p></li>
<li><p>an organisation should be created to develop the infrastructure needed to do this. This includes, open repositories, a peer review system for open educational materials, and systems for offering microcredits to students and academic credit to academics who take part.</p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman in a wheelchair work on a laptop in a cafe." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528475/original/file-20230526-19-2uhqwn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528475/original/file-20230526-19-2uhqwn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528475/original/file-20230526-19-2uhqwn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528475/original/file-20230526-19-2uhqwn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528475/original/file-20230526-19-2uhqwn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528475/original/file-20230526-19-2uhqwn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528475/original/file-20230526-19-2uhqwn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Students could pay a fee if they want accreditation for their work.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Marcus Aurelius/Pexels</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Why is this a good idea?</h2>
<p>The Productivity Commission says making this material public will encourage higher quality teaching, empower students and assist in lifelong learning. On top of this, there is the potential for true reform of the educational landscape. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/higher-education-must-reinvent-itself-to-meet-the-needs-of-the-world-today-enter-the-distributed-university-175927">Higher education must reinvent itself to meet the needs of the world today. Enter the distributed university</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>It provides opportunities for collaboration between universities, rather than a competitive business model. And it would make teaching more important, rather than an “inconvenient task” by those seeking academic advancement through research. </p>
<p>Finally, it would genuinely make learning more accessible and more affordable, no matter who you are or where you live.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205564/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Richard F. Heller does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Making study materials free could potentially allow students to take multiple units from different universities. It would also make higher education much more accessible.Richard F. Heller, Emeritus Professor, University of NewcastleLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2051162023-05-19T00:43:58Z2023-05-19T00:43:58ZNZ’s budget used a ‘gender lens’ for the first time – the result was a win for women<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527134/original/file-20230518-19-9hkp7d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C0%2C5383%2C3589&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Senior cabinet minister Megan Woods, Minister of Finance Grant Robertson and Prime Minister Chris Hipkins prepare to deliver the May 18 budget.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Getty Images</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>All the pre-budget talk of “bread and butter”, “no frills”, targeting and reprioritisation came with a sense of foreboding. History and research tell us that budgets in general – but particularly those hyper-focused on fiscal prudence – have different, often <a href="https://wbg.org.uk/about-us/">unequal impacts</a> on women compared to men.</p>
<p>For those of us who have long advocated for applying a <a href="https://www.grab-nz.ac.nz/">gender lens</a> to the budget, however, those fears were misplaced. That’s because <a href="https://budget.govt.nz/budget/pdfs/wellbeing-budget/b23-wellbeing-budget.pdf">Budget 2023</a> included a <a href="https://budget.govt.nz/budget/2023/wellbeing/approach/gender-budgeting.htm">gender budgeting “snapshot”</a> – the first New Zealand budget to do so.</p>
<p>This is an important addition to the budget process. The aim is to secure the wellbeing of diverse groups of women, underline structural inequalities, and avoid unintended negative consequences of investment decisions.</p>
<p>Although gender budgeting is new for Aotearoa New Zealand, it has a long history elsewhere, <a href="https://apo.org.au/node/39500">including in Australia</a>. More than 80 countries have trialled some form of gender budgeting, including over <a href="https://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/wp/wp-18-02">20 OECD member states</a>.</p>
<p>Indeed, the OECD, the United Nations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund view gender budgeting as <a href="https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/governance/gender-budgeting-the-economic-and-fiscal-rationale_9ca9b221-en#page1">critical to correcting</a> resource disparities, closing gender gaps in pay and the labour market, and enhancing economic, fiscal and social outcomes.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1659016163056291840"}"></div></p>
<h2>Valuable first steps</h2>
<p>There are many gender budgeting models. But <a href="https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/governance/oecd-best-practices-for-gender-budgeting_9574ed6f-en#page17">best-practice examples</a> apply a data-based gender perspective to all stages of the budget process, from design and analysis to implementation and evaluation.</p>
<p>The New Zealand government’s expanded pilot is not at that stage yet. But we witnessed some valuable first steps towards building a more inclusive budget system.</p>
<p>Treasury guidelines asked government agencies to analyse how budget proposals would enhance the wellbeing of Māori and Pacific people, children, the environment – and, explicitly for the first time, women and girls.</p>
<p>Fifteen agencies, supported by the Ministry for Women, used a gender budgeting toolkit to undertake this work. As a result, the budget contained specific initiatives for diverse groups of women. Investments often assumed to be “gender neutral” were assessed through this gender lens.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/for-a-no-frills-new-zealand-budget-it-was-surprisingly-frilly-5-experts-on-labours-big-pre-election-calls-205925">For a no-frills New Zealand budget it was ‘surprisingly frilly’: 5 experts on Labour’s big pre-election calls</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Balancing the books</h2>
<p>Our analysis of previous “wellbeing” budgets has highlighted how the gender-segregated nature of the labour market, including unpaid care work, has meant the benefits of government investments often bypass women.</p>
<p>Women are underrepresented in the construction and technology sectors, for instance. They also rely heavily on affordable childcare to support their return to work after parental leave. They often have different transport needs to men, and may be affected differently by pandemics and natural disasters.</p>
<p>Without a gender perspective, new spending on transport and climate change mitigation is unlikely to be evenly shared.</p>
<p>Bringing gender into Budget 2023 overcame some of these inefficiencies. For example, gender analysis resulted in the digital technology package including NZ$26.6 million to help businesses address digital skills gaps, and increase women’s participation in the sector from 27% to 50% by 2030.</p>
<p>New funding for internships and cadetships as part of the <a href="https://www.mpp.govt.nz/programmes/pacific-employment-action-plan/">Pacific Employment Action Plan</a> will benefit women and is a valuable step towards addressing the <a href="https://www.mpp.govt.nz/news-and-events/latest-news/closing-the-pacific-pay-gap/">Pacific gender pay gap</a>.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1659288125217075219"}"></div></p>
<h2>Closing the gaps</h2>
<p>Expanding the 20 hours early childhood education (ECE) subsidy to cover two-year-olds (it previously covered those aged three to five) was another win for women. This $1.2 billion investment reduces by 18 months the period between parental leave payments ending and government support for childcare starting.</p>
<p>Reduced fees and cost-of-living support for parents with children already enrolled in ECE are also signalled. This may expand women’s labour force participation and increase productivity.</p>
<p>The government also began to address the gender gap in retirement savings by matching KiwiSaver employer contributions for paid parental leave recipients. This contribution is conditional on a co-contribution by employees, so may be less accessible to the lowest income earners.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/nz-is-finally-making-progress-on-child-poverty-but-a-no-frills-budget-puts-that-at-risk-205559">NZ is finally making progress on child poverty – but a ‘no frills’ budget puts that at risk</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>However, it represents an investment in, and acknowledgement of, the unpaid care work predominantly done by women. And it is an important step towards reducing one component of the “<a href="https://globalwomen.org.nz/the-motherhood-penalty/">motherhood penalty</a>”.</p>
<p>The gender analysis completed by transport agencies revealed women are more likely than men to rely on public transport, use it in off-peak hours and make multiple short journeys. Women, particularly Māori and Pacific women, are also less likely than men to have a driver’s licence, making them more dependent on public transport.</p>
<p>So the promise of free fares for under-13-year-olds and reduced prices for under-25s is valuable. But it doesn’t cover the full cost for high school students, or help address the safety concerns associated with using public transport at night.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/want-to-support-companies-that-support-women-look-at-your-investments-through-a-gender-lens-heres-how-201292">Want to support companies that support women? Look at your investments through a ‘gender lens’ – here’s how</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>A political dividend?</h2>
<p>Gender analysis also matters for climate change and disaster recovery initiatives. For example, the University of Auckland’s 2021 <a href="https://auckland.figshare.com/articles/dataset/ISSP2020_Environment_IV/21225752?backTo=/collections/International_Social_Survey_Programme/2174592">International Social Survey Programme</a> found more women than men reported experiencing extreme weather events in the past 12 months. </p>
<p>While the gender gap is not significant, this nevertheless reinforces the need to analyse the impact of climate disasters on diverse groups within regions. </p>
<p>Family violence and harm also <a href="https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2023/02/women-s-refuge-says-no-surprise-family-harm-up-60pct-since-cyclone-gabrielle.html">increase</a> during and following such events. The additional funding dedicated to eliminating family and sexual violence in the budget is welcome. But making gender analysis the norm across recovery packages will be <a href="https://unfccc.int/climate-action/momentum-for-change/women-for-results/womens-empowerment-for-resilience-and-adaptation-against-climate-change">essential for resilience plans</a> as the impacts of climate change increase.</p>
<p>It’s possible this year’s gender budgeting snapshot will be read by naysayers as a “frill” or a “nice to have”. But in reality it will make New Zealand’s system of budgeting more effective, efficient and equitable. Ultimately, it makes good economic sense.</p>
<p>It might also help Labour, the Greens and Te Pati Māori retain enough of the women’s vote to swing this year’s general election in their favour come October.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>The authors thank Eva Mountfort for her research assistance.</em></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205116/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jennifer Curtin leads the Gender Responsive Analysis and Budgeting Aotearoa New Zealand project (<a href="http://www.grab-nz.ac.nz">http://www.grab-nz.ac.nz</a>) which was partially funded by a MBIE Smart Ideas Endeavour Grant awarded in late 2018. She has also consulted with policy advisers at the Ministry for Women, the Treasury, Sport NZ, the Ministry of Transport as part of her research on gender analysis and budgeting.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Komathi Kolandai has conducted analyses and reporting for the Gender Responsive Analysis and Budgeting Aotearoa New Zealand project, including integrating the LSF's wellbeing indicators.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr Suzy Morrissey is the Director of Policy and Research at the Retirement Commission.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Oluwakemi Igiebor and Victoria Woodman do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Budget 2023 included a ‘gender snapshot’ to account for the ways investment priorities affect women differently from men. More effective, efficient and equitable, it also makes good economic sense.Jennifer Curtin, Professor of Politics and Policy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata RauKomathi Kolandai, Research Fellow, Public Policy Institute and COMPASS Research Centre, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata RauOluwakemi Igiebor, Research Fellow, Public Policy Institute, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata RauSuzy Morrissey, Research Associate, Public Policy Institute, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata RauVictoria Woodman, Doctoral Candidate, Social Sciences, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata RauLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2034182023-05-18T20:01:40Z2023-05-18T20:01:40ZThese 5 equity ideas should be at the heart of the Universities Accord<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526151/original/file-20230515-15-e5zzmo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C162%2C4521%2C2842&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This article is part of our series on <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/universities-accord-big-ideas-137143">big ideas for the Universities Accord</a>. The federal government is calling for ideas to “reshape and reimagine higher education, and set it up for the next decade and beyond”. A review team is due to finish a draft report in June and a final report in December 2023.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>Decades of <a href="https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/equity-data__home/">research</a> shows how the higher education system has failed to give Australians a “fair go”. For example, young people in major cities are <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/education/education-and-work-australia/latest-release">much more likely</a> to have a university degree than those from regional or remote areas. This is despite an increase in <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/612854/australia-population-with-university-degree/#:%7E:text=Over%20the%20past%2020%20years,reaching%2050.8%20percent%20in%202022.">overall university participation</a> over the past 20 years. </p>
<p>The Albanese government says it is aware of such discrepancies. “Greater access and participation” for students from underrepresented backgrounds is one of <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/australian-universities-accord/resources/terms-reference">seven key areas identified</a> for the University Accord review.</p>
<p>But how can we move from good intentions to long-overdue change? </p>
<p>The accord review team can begin by making recommendations that prioritise five key ideas: address student poverty, make it easier to study near home, properly understand disadvantage, support teaching staff and help marginalised students get a job when they graduate.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1544884757770768384"}"></div></p>
<h2>1. Address student poverty</h2>
<p>Many Australian university students experience devastating poverty. A 2017 Universities Australia survey found <a href="https://www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au/media-item/one-in-seven-uni-students-regularly-go-without-food/">one in seven</a> regularly go without food or other necessities. This pre-pandemic figure increased to almost one in five for those from lower income backgrounds. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/god-i-miss-fruit-40-of-students-at-australian-universities-may-be-going-without-food-156584">'God, I miss fruit!' 40% of students at Australian universities may be going without food</a>
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<p>We know the prospect of debt also <a href="https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/publications/perceived-risks-of-going-to-university/">deters some students</a> from studying in the first place, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. </p>
<p>Changes to course fees <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-universities-accord-should-scrap-job-ready-graduates-and-create-a-new-multi-rate-system-for-student-fees-203910">in 2021</a> under the Job-ready Graduates scheme mean some undergraduates are now accruing record levels of debt. </p>
<p>So poverty does not end with graduation. According to a 2023 Melbourne University report, average debts are now <a href="https://melbourne-cshe.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/4509852/Gender-equity-and-policy-neglect-in-student-financing.pdf">as much as A$60,000</a>. Former students can take more than nine years to repay their fees, with repayment times trending upwards. </p>
<p>We urgently need a national review of financial support for students separate from the accord process. </p>
<p>This should not just tinker around the edges but interrogate everything from <a href="https://changetheage.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Locked-out-of-youth-allowance-student-poverty-and-centrelink-in-Australia-1.pdf">student benefits</a> such as Austudy, to the HELP scheme and the number of scholarships and bursaries available. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1656787847368646656"}"></div></p>
<h2>2. Make it easier to study near home</h2>
<p>My <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1755458618302226">research on Australian students</a> has shown students in rural areas may be reluctant to go to university if it means leaving their communities.</p>
<p>According to the <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp2122/Quick_Guides/RegionalRemoteHigherEducation">Australian Bureau of Statistics</a>, 48.6% of 25 to 34-year-olds in major cities had a university degree as of May 2021. This figure drops the further away someone is from a city, from 26.9% (inner regional) to 21.1% (outer regional) and approximately 16% (remote and very remote). </p>
<p>If we want more students outside of urban areas to go to university, we need to give them more opportunities to study close to where they grew up. This is sometimes referred to as a “<a href="https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/publications/moving-from-community-to-university/">place-based pathway</a>”. </p>
<p>We can do this through a nationally consistent approach to recognising studies undertaken across <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/productivity/report">different education providers</a>. This would see people able to move between universities, technical colleges, community colleges and regional university centres to complete their qualifications. </p>
<h2>3. Properly understand disadvantage</h2>
<p>The university sector continues to rely on an outdated approach when it comes to understanding disadvantage among its students. </p>
<p>Most students with a disadvantage are assigned into six blunt equity groups: low socio-economic status, students with a disability, rural and remote students, Indigenous students, women in non-traditional areas of study and students with English as a second language. </p>
<p>But about 50% of Australian students from underrepresented or marginalised backgrounds fall into <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1360080X.2021.1933305">more than one equity group</a>. For example, someone could be from a low socioeconomic background and have a disability.</p>
<p>A 2019 Queensland University study <a href="https://issr.uq.edu.au/case-study-investigating-effects-cumulative-factors-disadvantage">showed</a> experiencing many types of disadvantage reduces a student’s chances of entering or completing higher education.</p>
<p>Australia needs a national approach to understanding and responding to this complexity. </p>
<p>A 2020 federal government-commissioned <a href="https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:2a76ba9">study</a> has already proposed how to do this. The University of Queensland team developed five prototype measurements to capture multiple disadvantaging factors. We need these types of measurements to properly support the diverse needs of our most vulnerable learners. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/1-5bn-has-gone-into-getting-disadvantaged-students-into-uni-for-very-small-gains-so-what-more-can-be-done-186630">$1.5bn has gone into getting disadvantaged students into uni for very small gains. So what more can be done?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>4. Don’t forget academics as part of this</h2>
<p>The accord <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/clare/release-australian-universities-accord-discussion-paper">discussion paper notes</a> 50–80% of undergraduate teaching in universities is done by casual or contract staff. </p>
<p>This means the delicate work of supporting, engaging and teaching students from diverse backgrounds is often done by staff on temporary, precarious contracts. </p>
<p>Recent Australian studies show these staff often feel <a href="https://theconversation.com/some-of-them-do-treat-you-like-an-idiot-what-its-like-to-be-a-casual-academic-201470">stressed, excluded</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-unis-could-not-function-without-casual-staff-it-is-time-to-treat-them-as-real-employees-203053">over-worked</a> because of the nature of their work. </p>
<p>We cannot expect people to behave inclusively when they themselves are not <a href="https://ro.uow.edu.au/sspapers/2280/">included or valued</a> in an institution.</p>
<p>Creating sustainable and secure employment options for academic staff would benefit staff and positively impact student outcomes and experience.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-unis-could-not-function-without-casual-staff-it-is-time-to-treat-them-as-real-employees-203053">Australian unis could not function without casual staff: it is time to treat them as 'real' employees</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>5. Supporting graduates to get jobs</h2>
<p>Assuming a student from a diverse background makes it to and through university, we need to support them when they <a href="https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/publications/post-graduation-outcomes-first-family-university/">look for a job</a>.</p>
<p>Students from underrepresented groups can take longer to, or in some cases, are <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-12224-8_7">are less likely to find a job</a> compared to their more advantaged peers. According to the <a href="https://www.qilt.edu.au/surveys/graduate-outcomes-survey-(gos)#anchor-2">2022 Graduate Outcomes Survey</a> 79.8% of undergraduates from a high socioeconomic backgrounds were in full-time work within six months of graduating, compared to 76.6% of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. </p>
<p>Undergraduates with a reported disability had a full-time employment rate of 68.4%, compared to 79.5% for those with no reported disability. Those who spoke a language other than English at home have a full-time employment rate of 66%, compared to 78.9% of students whose home language was English. </p>
<p>There are many reasons for these differences, including less <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1360080X.2023.2180161">access to professional and social networks</a>. These differences perpetuate ongoing cycles of disadvantage.</p>
<p>We need a targeted national graduate employment strategy to level the playing field in a congested and competitive graduate employment environment. This should include ongoing support and advice offered to students to assist job-seeking activities even after graduation. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1658263650774179841"}"></div></p>
<h2>What now?</h2>
<p>The accord promises to be a vast document with many recommendations. But if it really wants to live up to its promise to reshape and reimagine Australian higher education, equity can no longer be regarded as an add-on, bolted onto existing activities or structures. </p>
<p>Instead, it needs to be embedded across all the changes proposed by the University Accord.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/203418/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sarah O' Shea receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Department of Education. She is affiliated with University of Wollongong (Honorary Fellow) and the Churchill Trust.</span></em></p>Decades of research shows how the higher education system has failed to give Australians a “fair go”. How can we move from good intentions to long-overdue change?Sarah O'Shea, Professor and Higher Education Researcher, Curtin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2008882023-04-11T20:32:11Z2023-04-11T20:32:11ZAdding charter schools to Ontario would exacerbate student inequities<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519396/original/file-20230404-14-rpgn0r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C53%2C3972%2C2324&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">School closures related to labour disputes and the pandemic prompted some commentators to call for charter schools. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Parents and other advocates who are dissatisfied with the current state of public schooling often call for the expansion of school choice. </p>
<p>In Ontario, this erupted following school closures <a href="https://financialpost.com/opinion/cupe-strike-school-choice-ontario-education">as a result of labour disputes</a> and COVID-19. Some commentators <a href="https://www.fraserinstitute.org/article/heres-what-school-choice-in-ontario-could-look-like-for-parents">and think tanks have suggested</a> charter schooling is a viable option for students in Ontario. <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/charter-schools#:%7E:text=Alberta%20is%20the%20only%20province,and%20permit%20more%20parental%20choice.">Alberta is the only province in Canada to have charter schools</a> and has had them for nearly 30 years. </p>
<p><a href="https://openlibrary-repo.ecampusontario.ca/jspui/handle/123456789/673">Charter schools</a> are a specific type of alternative education that is publicly funded in a manner specified in the school’s charter. Their governance is handled by charter board members, as opposed to the local school board — a significant distinction from other alternative schools. </p>
<p>Typically, the charter board consists of parents, instructors and community members, whereas other public schools are governed by officials elected by public vote. Charter schools are in charge of all their own hires and admissions, and report directly to the government.</p>
<p>School choice already abounds in Ontario. No compelling evidence exists that adding choice in the form of charter schools will bolster student achievement. Adding charter schools would likely contribute both to segregating students by race and socio-economic status, and <a href="https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/calgary-charter-schools-await-ucp-funding#">creating elite schools that cherry pick their students</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A sign for a charter academy school." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519363/original/file-20230404-897-t0znbu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519363/original/file-20230404-897-t0znbu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519363/original/file-20230404-897-t0znbu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519363/original/file-20230404-897-t0znbu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519363/original/file-20230404-897-t0znbu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519363/original/file-20230404-897-t0znbu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519363/original/file-20230404-897-t0znbu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Does Ontario really need more school choice in the form of charter schools? A sign for a charter academy school in Winterville, N.C.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Justin Lundy/WITN-TV via AP)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Existing choice in Ontario</h2>
<p>School choice can take many forms, and in Canada it has <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0008423921000901">typically been developed within the public system</a>.<br>
In Ontario, school choice within the public system includes the <a href="https://www.ocsta.on.ca/catholic-schools-in-ontario/">publicly funded Catholic system</a>, <a href="https://www.ontario.ca/page/french-second-language-programs">French immersion</a>, the <a href="https://www.ontarioschools.org/TalentedandGifted.aspx">gifted program</a> and an array of <a href="https://www.tdsb.on.ca/alternativeschools/#%22%22">alternative schools</a>. There are also <a href="https://www.ontario.ca/page/private-schools-0">over 1,300 private</a> school options available to parents in the province. </p>
<p>However, unlike <a href="https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/administration/program-management/independent-schools/funding">British Columbia</a> and <a href="https://ecolespriveesquebec.ca/en/private-school/faq/">Québec</a>, there exists no subsidy system for private schooling in Ontario. In British Columbia, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-private-schools-491-million-public-funding-1.6589571">the provincial government subsidizes the cost of private schooling</a>, covering between 35 per cent and 50 per cent of tuition. </p>
<p>Similarly in Québec, <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/opinion-brace-for-more-inequality-in-education-under-bill-96">the provincial government generously funds privates schools</a>. In Ontario and other provinces, parents who choose private schools foot the entire bill. </p>
<h2>For the wealthy?</h2>
<p>Introducing private competition with the public system <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904819874756">reveals only very small improvements in school achievement</a> when data across the United States are analyzed. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/19367244211003471">No comparable data</a> are available to analyze in Canada.</p>
<p>Critics argue school choice does <a href="https://www.fraserinstitute.org/article/heres-what-school-choice-in-ontario-could-look-like-for-parents">not only have to be for the wealthy</a> and <a href="https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/agar-supporting-education-vouchers-is-putting-children-first">voucher systems</a> or <a href="https://nationalpost.com/opinion/chris-selley-school-choice">charter schools</a> could provide an avenue for low- to middle-income families to choose the type of education their children receive.</p>
<p>However, instead of being the great equalizer, there is considerable evidence that school choice actually exacerbates existing inequities, especially race and <a href="https://theconversation.com/school-choice-policies-are-associated-with-increased-separation-of-students-by-social-class-149902">socio-economic</a> inequities. </p>
<p>Boards like the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) have alternative schools or specialty programs that offer a great deal of choice. Many of these speciality programs <a href="https://doi.org/10.15353/cjds.v7i2.421">have also been found to exacerbate existing inequities</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Students seen walking in front of a school." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519393/original/file-20230404-16-2zt88c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519393/original/file-20230404-16-2zt88c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519393/original/file-20230404-16-2zt88c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519393/original/file-20230404-16-2zt88c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519393/original/file-20230404-16-2zt88c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519393/original/file-20230404-16-2zt88c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519393/original/file-20230404-16-2zt88c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Data from Ontario show that significant inequality exists when there are coveted spots within the public system for schools of choice.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Alexandra Wimley/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Demographic homogeneity</h2>
<p>For example, a <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.14507/epaa.25.2716">study on</a> specialty arts programs in the TDSB found that students were disproportionately white, wealthier and more likely to have parents who had gone to university. </p>
<p>The study found that the demographic homogeneity of the school environments contributes to continued structural inequities. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/french-immersion-and-other-regional-learning-programs-smart-choice-for-your-kids-or-do-they-fuel-inequity-195184">French immersion and other regional learning programs: Smart choice for your kids, or do they fuel inequity?</a>
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<p>Data from Ontario show that significant inequality exists when there are coveted spots within the existing public system for schools of choice. The TDSB <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-tdsb-specialized-school-programs/">created a lottery system</a> to address this — but recent reports said the board discovered there was an <a href="https://www.cp24.com/news/racialized-disabled-and-lgbtq-students-excluded-from-tdsb-elementary-lottery-1.6344461">oversight when administering the lottery and prioritized students were excluded from it</a>.</p>
<p>How would adding charter schools level the playing field? </p>
<h2>Data from the U.S.</h2>
<p>In comparably diverse American cities with public, private and charter schools, more evidence to the contrary exists. Examining <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED613612.pdf">data from New York City</a> on private and public school enrolment shows high levels of school racial segregation. </p>
<p>In NYC, approximately 14 per cent of students attend private schools, while 77 per cent attend public district schools and nine per cent attend charter schools.</p>
<p>Although charter schools make up nine per cent of the student population in NYC, 54 per cent of charter school students are Black, 39 per cent are Hispanic and five per cent are white. In contrast, white students make up 69 per cent of private school population, while Black students make up 11 per cent.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-cyber-charter-schools-are-and-why-their-growth-should-worry-us-68471">What cyber charter schools are and why their growth should worry us</a>
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<p>The research on whether charter schools improve student achievement is extremely mixed. An <a href="https://public-schools.ab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/PrivatizingPublicChoice-ThePastPresentandFutureofCharteSchoolsinAlberta.pdf">overview</a> of the American data suggests that students in public and charter schools perform at similar levels. </p>
<p>The same report also showed that there is considerable evidence that charter schools exacerbate existing racial, ethnic and socio-economic segregation in the U.S. There is not much evidence that the expansion of the charter system in the U.S. spurred innovation and competition in the public sector and improved education across the board.</p>
<h2>High test scores needed?</h2>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="A hand seen writing a test on a classroom desk." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519884/original/file-20230406-694-m8u43n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519884/original/file-20230406-694-m8u43n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519884/original/file-20230406-694-m8u43n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519884/original/file-20230406-694-m8u43n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519884/original/file-20230406-694-m8u43n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519884/original/file-20230406-694-m8u43n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519884/original/file-20230406-694-m8u43n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Some charter schools have been found to prevent students with disabilities from enrolling as a strategy to keep test scores high.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Since charter schools are at a risk of closure when they do not perform adequately, there is a lot of pressure to achieve and maintain high test scores. </p>
<p>Charter schools have <a href="https://raceandschools.barnard.edu/charterschools/disabilities/">been found</a> to prevent students with disabilities from enrolling as a strategy to keep test scores high. </p>
<p>The lack of accountability and transparency from charter schools in the U.S. has led some organizations focussed around racial justice to support a <a href="https://naacp.org/resources/calling-moratorium-charter-school-expansion-and-strengthening-oversight-governance-and">moratorium</a> on charter schools.</p>
<h2>Achievement in Alberta</h2>
<p>Alberta, like Ontario, also enjoys considerable <a href="https://www.albertaschoolcouncils.ca/education-in-alberta/education-options">choice within the public system</a>, including through charter schools. CBC reported in March that around <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-s-education-budget-features-new-schools-and-replacements-first-charter-school-hub-1.6765068">20,000 students are on wait lists for charter schools</a> in the province, following the province’s removal of <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/7000587/alberta-government-ucp-charter-schools-home-schooling-education-may/">a cap on them in 2019</a>.</p>
<p>There are, however, no public reports that provide any evidence that students in Alberta’s charter schools are doing better than their peers elsewhere in the public system. </p>
<p>Adding additional mechanisms to exacerbate inequality in the name of “choice” in Ontario will do nothing for overall student achievement.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/200888/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Karen Robson receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rochelle Wijesingha is affiliated with the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Association. She is the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator.</span></em></p>School choice already abounds in Ontario. Adding charter schooling in the name of ‘choice’ won’t help student achievement.Karen Robson, Ontario Research Chair in Academic Achievement and At-Risk Youth, McMaster UniversityRochelle Wijesingha, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Department of Sociology, McMaster UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2028202023-04-04T00:23:49Z2023-04-04T00:23:49ZChildren have a basic understanding of poverty – a more equal society means talking to them about it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519140/original/file-20230403-22-fr2hi2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C148%2C2995%2C2029&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Getty Images</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Rates of child poverty in Aotearoa New Zealand remain <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/cost-of-living-child-poverty-levels-hardly-improving-still-12000-in-material-hardship/NAARKFE32NAW5GTERMAZ2QSOLY/">stubbornly high</a>, despite the issue being the focus of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/25/jacinda-ardern-takes-child-poverty-role-in-new-zealand-ministry">considerable political attention</a> while Jacinda Ardern was prime minister. </p>
<p>In 2022, 120,000 children in New Zealand were being raised in households experiencing material hardship. This means their family is unable to afford essential items such as food, clothing, accommodation, heating and transport.</p>
<p>Alongside the obvious and pernicious direct effects of poverty on a person’s health and life prospects, there is a broader issue of what <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/12/global-income-inequality-gap-report-rich-poor/">rising economic inequality</a> may mean for all of us in the long run. </p>
<p>As we look at the consequences of poverty, we also need to ask what children themselves – the “kids who have” and the “kids who have not” – understand about the unequal world around them. </p>
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<h2>Stages of understanding</h2>
<p>Statistics about childhood poverty tell part of the story of the widening gap in income and wealth. But children’s perceptions and understanding of economic inequality, and their experiences of it, will shape how future generations deal with the social upheaval it may bring. </p>
<p>So how do our children learn about, or perhaps learn to tolerate, inequality? Just for a moment, let’s set aside political or moral positions. For children growing up in poverty there are undeniable <a href="https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/information-releases/weag-report-release/rapid-evidence-review-the-impact-of-poverty-on-life-course-outcomes-for-children-and-the-likely-effect-of-increasing-the-adequacy-of-w">negative consequences</a> on their physical and mental health, and their education. </p>
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<p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-must-go-beyond-singular-responses-in-the-fight-against-child-poverty-125385">We must go beyond singular responses in the fight against child poverty</a>
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<p>Over the course of a person’s life, this disadvantage restricts opportunity. Rising levels of poverty risk creating a cycle of inequality that continues into the future as those raised in poverty become adults.</p>
<p>Research indicates a <a href="https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjdp.12446">consistent developmental pattern</a> in how children acquire an understanding of economic inequality. </p>
<p>Before <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0190740917307107">five years</a> of age, children grasp only very basic distinctions between rich and poor. Older children can link wealth to work, albeit in a linear way: that is, they believe working hard leads to wealth. </p>
<p>And at around <a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/report/i-feel-some-people-work-twice-hard-get-half-much-childrens-and-adolescents-perceptions">ten years</a>, children start to consider effort, education, inheritance and occupation as factors affecting wealth. </p>
<h2>Children understand fairness</h2>
<p>Through most of childhood, wealth and poverty is framed in terms of basic stereotypes attributed to individuals. While these explanations can persist into adulthood, adolescents increasingly consider inequality more in terms of its structural, political and economic causes.</p>
<p>Children may not grasp the social and structural features that relate to economic inequality. But as any parent can tell you, you’ll find out pretty quickly if a child thinks something isn’t fair.</p>
<p>Of course, questions of inequality are intimately bound up with questions of morality. So while there is arguably limited reward in a conversation with your three-year-old about the finer points of macroeconomic theory, instilling a straightforward ethic of fairness and the principle of equality (or equity) from a young age is worthwhile.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-cost-of-living-crisis-means-bolder-budget-decisions-are-needed-to-lift-more-nz-children-out-of-poverty-181466">The cost of living crisis means bolder budget decisions are needed to lift more NZ children out of poverty</a>
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<p>The broader social and political context matters too. Public discussions on individualistic versus structural explanations for inequality, and the prevailing political milieu, provide important backdrops for how children will frame and discuss inequality at home, school and among their peer group.</p>
<p>For instance, children and adolescents in Finland – one of the world’s most economically <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-015-9315-5">equal nations</a> – use more structural explanations in discussing poverty compared with those from more unequal nations. </p>
<p>In nations with relatively high levels of economic inequality (such as New Zealand and the United States), people frequently believe <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/ser/mwy051">wealth is based on individual merit</a>.</p>
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<h2>Subverting meritocracy</h2>
<p>Yet at the same time, poverty is associated with stigma. Stereotyping means poor people are more likely to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167220916640">viewed as lazy or unintelligent</a>. These stereotypes entail social influences that can diminish poorer children’s self esteem, increase their anxiety and lead them to under-perform in academic assessments.</p>
<p>Conversely, children from more affluent families may be more confident of their ability. Compounded with the different opportunities for support afforded to rich and poor children, this may lead those from less affluent families to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12494">lack the confidence</a> to seek and reach their potential.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/child-poverty-is-at-a-20-year-high-but-in-one-english-community-children-themselves-are-intervening-115177">Child poverty is at a 20-year high – but in one English community, children themselves are intervening</a>
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<p>Human psychology subverts the supposed meritocracy in other ways. Adolescents tune in to social networks, status and hierarchies. Research from Wales found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3616">moving to a high school</a> with more affluent classmates negatively affected less affluent children’s mental wellbeing. </p>
<p>In fact, these self-perceptions of class predict <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4863-x">physical and mental health inequalities</a> later in life better than objective measures of wealth.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/global-inequality-must-fall-to-maintain-a-safe-climate-and-achieve-a-decent-standard-of-living-for-all-its-a-huge-challenge-199529">Global inequality must fall to maintain a safe climate and achieve a decent standard of living for all – it's a huge challenge</a>
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<h2>Not all bad news</h2>
<p>Unequal societies have lower levels of social cohesion. Economic inequality is associated with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/esr/jcz003">less subjective wellbeing</a>, even among the more affluent members of a society. </p>
<p>In other words, everyone is less happy. And rising economic inequality intersects with societal “faultlines” such as race and gender which are ripe for political exploitation.</p>
<p>In the future, economic inequality may be as much a consequence as a cause of the challenges future generations will face – climate change, for example. But it doesn’t have to be all bad news. </p>
<p>Historically, levels of income inequality have <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/income-inequality/">tended to fluctuate</a> (albeit often as a consequence of financial crises or wars). So future economic inequality is not inevitable. And even if we adults cannot generate the political will or moral consensus to change things, maybe we can do our bit by nurturing and empowering a generation that can.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/202820/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Patrick Leman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Breaking the cycle of poverty for future generations requires talking about it with children now, and helping them understand the causes of economic inequality.Patrick Leman, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Professor of Psychology, University of WaikatoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2012762023-03-16T12:31:11Z2023-03-16T12:31:11ZEvery teacher grades differently, which isn’t fair<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/515223/original/file-20230314-26-p8e1ao.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C8179%2C5457&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">For many teachers, grading is an individualized effort – not one consistent with other teachers.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/school-teacher-grading-some-tests-in-a-classroom-royalty-free-image/1451107412">andresr/E+ via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Students and parents have begun suing school districts over grading policies and practices they say are unfair. </p>
<p>As a <a href="https://und.edu/directory/laura.link">scholar of education</a> who studies grading practices, I’ve seen how important grades are to schools, students and their families.</p>
<p>Grades are the primary basis for making important decisions about students. They determine whether students are promoted from one grade level to the next. They also determine honor roll status and enrollment in advanced or remedial classes, and they factor into special education services and college or university admissions. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2023/03/02/sat-act-test-optional-policies-covid-become-permanent/11385454002/">More than 1,800 colleges and universities</a> now allow applicants to choose whether they want to take the ACT or SAT. That means grades are more important in admissions decisions and <a href="https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/what-you-need-to-know-about-college-tuition-costs">scholarship awards</a> – and students and their parents know it.</p>
<p>In early 2022, a local political figure and his wife <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/education/bs-md-patterson-lawsuit-schools-20220127-20220127-bhu5jikoqjfvjoez4i7v4pyaii-story.html">sued Baltimore Public Schools</a>, claiming the city’s entire education system was not serving the public. They said <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/education/bs-md-augusta-fells-problems-20210408-npgkgnofl5g7vfpmwvx3tqk3wy-story.html">unfair grading practices</a> limited students’ academic access.</p>
<p>Later that year, a parent in Kentucky sued the local school district, alleging <a href="https://www.kentucky.com/news/local/education/article264905424.html">unfair grading practices</a> had tainted remote learning classes that had been established during the COVID-19 pandemic. </p>
<p>Those cases are still pending, but even <a href="https://my.aasa.org/AASA/Resources/SAMag/2021/May21/Link-Kauffman.aspx">as far back as 2007</a>, <a href="https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=8278150">parents sued a West Virginia school district</a> because their daughter got a lower grade than expected on a biology project she turned in late. The lawsuit argued that the bad grade was unfair and hurt the student’s grade-point average, valedictorian status, scholarship potential and chances of getting into a good college. </p>
<p>These lawsuits show how important grades are to students and their parents.</p>
<h2>Teachers spend lots of time grading</h2>
<p>Teachers know how important grades are, too. In fact, teachers spend <a href="https://www.ascd.org/books/what-we-know-about-grading?variant=118062">over one-third of their professional work time</a> assessing and evaluating student learning. </p>
<p>But most university teacher-education programs focus on curriculum and instruction, with less attention given to assessment. My research has found that these programs do not talk about <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1168160">how to actually grade</a> student work.</p>
<p>In keeping with a <a href="https://uknowledge.uky.edu/edp_facpub/53/">long-held tradition in education</a>, teachers also have, and like, the autonomy to set their own practices. That results in <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1168160">inconsistency, inequity and even unreliability</a> in teachers’ grading practices.</p>
<p>For example, teachers decide if grades will be based on tests, quizzes, homework, participation, behavior, effort, extra credit or other evidence. When surveying over 15,000 teachers, administrators, support educators, parents and students, I found <a href="https://gradingrx.com">teachers use a wide range of evidence</a> in grades. While they primarily use tests, quizzes, projects, and homework to assign grades, teachers at all grade levels also include nonacademic evidence, like behavior and effort, in their grading equations. </p>
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<p>Teachers also decide whether students will get a second chance to take tests if they fail on the first attempt, or be allowed to turn in work late, sometimes reducing their maximum possible grade. </p>
<p>Once teachers decide what to include in their grades, they decide how much weight to assign to each grade category. One teacher may weigh homework as 20% of the final course grade, while another teacher in the same grade level may choose a different weight or not grade homework at all.</p>
<p>In my work, I have talked to teachers who curve grades, especially at the end of a course when they discover lots of students did poorly. To curve, these teachers adjust grades by adding points to all students’ scores to bring the highest score up to 100%. Other teachers in the same school told me they do not grade on a curve. Instead, they add extra credit points to students’ final course grades if they attend a school event, such as a play. Some teachers told me they also add grade points if a student was never tardy to class or never missed an assignment deadline. </p>
<h2>Traditional grading is confusing and inaccurate</h2>
<p>Schools do often have a common grade system all teachers must use, such as a scale from zero to 100. But my research has found that it’s <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1168160">very rare</a> that all teachers in a district, or even a school or a grade level, use the same grading policies and procedures.</p>
<p>The variation among teachers’ grading policies and practices causes confusion for students and their parents. High school students, for instance, typically have seven different teachers each semester. That means they have to keep up with seven different grading policies and procedures – and cope with the obvious differences. </p>
<p>My research indicates that the effort to keep up with multiple teachers’ different grading expectations <a href="https://www.nassp.org/publication/principal-leadership/volume-21-2020-2021/principal-leadership-october-2020/viewpoint-october-2020/">causes students chronic stress and anxiety</a>, especially for those students with poor organizational, time-management and self-regulation skills. This is also the case for students competing for high grade-point averages and class rank. Still, students rarely question teachers’ grading or the grading differences between teachers. </p>
<p>It might seem unfair, for example, that one algebra teacher allows for extra credit to boost final course grades and another does not. But students have accepted these differences because this is <a href="https://uknowledge.uky.edu/edp_facpub/53/">how it’s always been</a>. And parents often pass these grading differences off as what they experienced in school themselves. </p>
<h2>Three ways to improve grading</h2>
<p>Grading consistency and effectiveness could be improved if universities’ teacher-training programs included <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2022.2107338">specific training on grading practices</a> in their educator preparation programs, but not any training will do. Evidence-based research on grading conducted over the past century identifies <a href="https://www.ascd.org/books/what-we-know-about-grading?variant=118062">ways grades can be effective, fair and accurate</a>.</p>
<p>First, grades are accurate and meaningful when they are based on reliable and valid evidence from classroom assessments. This information allows teachers to provide students and parents with feedback on learning progress, and to guide teachers’ own efforts to improve their teaching. For instance, an assessment strategy called <a href="https://www.aasa.org/resources/resource/feedback-for-teachers-what-evidence-do-teachers-find-most-useful">Mastery Learning</a> has been shown to improve student achievement and deliver reliable evidence upon which teachers can base grades.</p>
<p>Second, grading works best when students, parents, teachers, administrators and others in the school are <a href="https://gradingrx.com/">clear on the purpose of grades</a>. These groups have different beliefs and expectations, but clarity in grades can be achieved when they agree on grading intentions to then anchor policies and practices.</p>
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<p>Third, grade reports that include three to five categories of performance more meaningfully <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2022.2107338">communicate students’ actual academic proficiency</a>. Reducing a grade to a single letter or number that incorporates many aspects of learning, including behavior and effort, does not inform anyone as clearly about what a student has achieved, needs or is ready for.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/201276/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Laura Link consults with school districts through GradingRx. </span></em></p>A scholar of grading explains how teachers can do a better job of reporting what grades represent, and what they are for.Laura Link, Assistant Professor of Teaching and Leadership, University of North DakotaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.