The Equity Challenge in Tertiary Education

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The Equity Challenge in Tertiary Education

• Jamil Salmi
• Tertiary Education Coordinator
• WCHE
• Paris, 7 July 2009

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outline of the presentation

• the elusive equity goal
• common misconceptions about equity
• the equity imperative

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equality of opportunity
The impertinent courtesy of an invitation offered
to unwelcome guests, in the certainty that
circumstances will prevent them from
accepting. Richard Tawney
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tertiary enrollment per quintile
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elusive equity

• Mexico (2005)
• only 1 of 15-24 year old from poorest quintile
  attend tertiary education
• 32 from richest quintile
• Thailand
• 50 of students from richest quintile
• 5 from poorest quintile

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elusive equity (II)

• France
• probability of access to Grande Ecole is 11 times
  higher for children of professionals than of blue
  collar worker
• 6,000 per student at university, vs. 20,000
  in preparatory schools
• USA probability to access Ivy League university
  is 8.3 for lowest quintile and 50 for richest
  quintile

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outline of the presentation

• the elusive equity goal
• common misconceptions about equity

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free is fair

• USP
• 84 candidates from public high schools
• 30 of new students
• in medicine, only 3 out of 180 new entrants
• Bolivia
• more poor people in fee-paying private
  institutions than in free public institutions

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fair is fair

• unified entrance examination with objective and
  transparent selection criteria
• Eastern Europe and Central Asia
• Chile

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its all about money

• institutional barriers
• pathways
• recognition of various forms of skill acquisition
• motivation

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the dice are cast

• Paris
• Texas
• positive discrimination

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access means success

• obstacles continue to exist after admission
• UNICAMP

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outline of the presentation

• the elusive equity goal
• common misconceptions about equity
• the equity imperative

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the equity imperative

• social justice
• loss of talent
• Outliers example

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build the foundations South Korea and Brazil
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55
2000
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9
1980
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42
3
1960
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80
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three policy levers

• financial aid to overcome economic barriers

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Brazil ProUni

• State purchases seats in private universities
• offered to top students from low-income families
  who dont get a seat in a public university
• no actual payment to the university, but tax
  exemption

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Colombia

• access with equity (Antioquia)
• partnership (local government, private firms and
  private universities)
• low-income students who dont get a seat in a
  public university get financial aid to enter a
  private university (75 scholarship and 25
  subsidized loan)
• Uniminuto de Dios University
• high quality, private institution catering to
  low-income students in marginal zones

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three policy levers

• financial aid to overcome economic barriers
• preferential admission
• non-monetary interventions to improve academic
  readiness and increase motivation

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conclusion
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the way forward

• detailed data on equity dimensions (household,
  institutional, national)
• assessment of what works and what does not work

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• Everybody is equal.
• But some are more equal than others.
• George Orwell