Equity Begins with Education
A different approach is required to increase postsecondary participation rates, as money alone will not work
Equity begins with education – because everything we know about a high quality of life and a robust economy points to the need for well-educated, skilled, and innovative people. Economic analyses repeatedly confirms that those with postsecondary education have higher employment levels, are more buffered in times of job loss and earn more than those without these credentials.
More than 80 per cent of Ontario secondary school students enrol in some type of postsecondary institution by age 21, but gaps in access remain for some – most notably those who identify as Aboriginal or whose parents have no postsecondary experience. In fact, our research shows that having no family history of college or university is the most significant obstacle to postsecondary education for those students who would most benefit from it.
More than 80 per cent of Ontario secondary school students enrol in some type of postsecondary institution by age 21, but gaps in access remain for some – most notably those who identify as Aboriginal or whose parents have no postsecondary experience. In fact, our research shows that having no family history of college or university is the most significant obstacle to postsecondary education for those students who would most benefit from it.
The Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) is Canada’s only provincially-funded research organization focused on postsecondary access, quality, and accountability. While our mandate is higher education, our research clearly indicates that the influences encouraging or discouraging participation in higher education are at work long before a student is thinking (or not) of enrolling in a college, university or apprenticeship program.
A different approach is required to increase participation rates, as money alone will not work. We used to think the accessibility gap was relatively easy to solve: just make sure there is lots of financial assistance to support these students and they would pursue higher education. The research shows, though, that putting more money on the table is a necessary but insufficient solution. Students often make decisions about higher education early in life and there are a host of socio-cultural and attitudinal factors that make students from under-represented groups reluctant to pursue higher education.
Their reluctance, I’m sorry to say, is aggravated of late by what I call the postsecondary contrarians (most of them holding postsecondary credentials) who overstate the economic costs and risks, understate the benefits, ignore the effects of a recessionary economy on graduate job prospects and celebrate a handful of postsecondary dropouts for their entrepreneurial bravado. The fact is we should be talking a lot more about getting under-represented students into postsecondary education and a lot less about who can get by without it.
We need to focus on the barriers and find more effective ways of educating students about the costs and benefits of higher education. We need accurate and easy-to-understand information on the financial and other support available, more assistance in understanding the complex array of educational choices available and guidance on how to navigate application and registration processes. And we need to start well before high school. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we need better communication between the secondary and postsecondary sectors to create smoother pathways for students. If equity begins with education, it really begins with us.
Additional HEQCO Information Resources
- HEQCO Community Report
- Financial Literacy of Low-income Students: Literature Review and Environmental Scan
- Access to Post-secondary Education: How Ontario Compares
- Educational Financial Literacy: Organizations on the ground and making a difference
Related Education Canada article:
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