GENEVIEVE HUGHES
I remember how stressful it was, Year Twelve, university applications, imagining over and over again what would happen, what would I do with my life if I didn’t get the right marks for my course?
I could apply for another course.
I could defer for a year.
I could get a job, move out, and lead a perfectly happy life – because that is my choice.
But what about the people who didn’t choose to miss out on a tertiary education?
The choice of going to University
University is an opportunity that should be available to everyone, regardless of whether one chooses to attend. The case for attending university has never been stronger; from sociology to biomechanics, fine arts and literature to medicine and engineering, you can study almost anything at university. Add this with the promise of new friends and travelling opportunities, many if not most young people want to attend. Ultimately, university can help a young person provide a better life for themselves and their family members.
The Finances
University tuitions have also never been more expensive. This can hit families of lower socio-economic backgrounds very hard, forcing them to make the decision to refute tertiary education for their children. Even with scholarships provided for students from marginalised backgrounds, average working class families struggle to finance tertiary educations.
At the University of Western Australia, a six-year medicine degree costs approximately $60,000 dollars and a five year law degree costs $51,000.
Even with HECS-HELP in place, graduates spend years paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in university fees and from 2016, HECS-HELP will only be available to domestic students.
This will leave many international students, unable to attend university in Australia, and many domestic students choosing their undergraduate course based on tuition costs.
Where is the inequality?
Finances are not the only issue here.
The inequalities between high schools should also be considered: many private schools are funded not only by religious institutions but by federal and state governments. Parents of students attending private schools also pay tuitions that can range up to $22,000 a year, per student.
The problem exists here: teachers are paid more in private schools, therefore many teachers choose to work in private institutions, leaving students in government schools disadvantaged and public school teachers grossly underpaid.
This leaves the educational experiences of young people wholly unequal during high school, thus affecting their acceptance into university.
The problem with inequality in education
There are a number of factors that influence a student’s performance in exams, the most essential being the effort a student puts in to achieve good marks.
But what about the things we don’t like to talk about?
Of the fifty highest-ranking schools in Victoria – 39 are privately funded. Of these, 35 are also funded by religious institutions.
Many people will argue that a student’s performance in exams depends entirely on them – this is not the case.
With such discernable financial inequalities between independent schools and government schools, it does not seem so surprising that a student’s performance at school, and subsequently their tertiary opportunities are primarily determined by their post-code, and the level of education their parents received.
In the United States, the College Board/Next America Poll found that students were more likely to attend university if their parents had attended university.
This “intergenerational transmission of class” is true of Australia also.
On a global scale
Inequality in education is an international issue.
Education is the tool for socio-economic mobility; therefore it is important that educational experiences, at the very least, are equal for all students. In an interview with Jon Stewart, Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai stated that education teaches equality “because students are provided the same benches, they sit equally”.
If Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Malala Yousafzai believes that students should sit equally – then we need to ensure that they do.
Social Catalysts 