HEA equality report

The Higher Education Authority launched the eagerly awaited Skilbeck report on 15 May 2000. This report on Access and Equity in Higher Education: An International Perspective on Issues and Strategies was prepared for the HEA by Professor Malcolm Skilbeck with the assistance of Dr. Helen Connell. The purpose of the research was first, to consider trends and issues arising in international movements aimed at improving and sustaining equity in higher education and second, to identify strategies and procedures that show promise in meeting policy objectives of achieving greater equity in higher education.

The report identified a number of key issues in relation to access and equity in higher education in OECD countries:

• Policy frameworks and legislation are often quite strong, but need to be kept under review for adequacy of coverage, continued relevance and effectiveness and basic awareness of requirements;
• Follow-through &endash; which requires monitoring, good data, evaluation, analysis and a capacity to undertake systematic action of a supportive, remedial kind and compliance measures &endash; is often very uneven;
• Despite well conceived and resourced equity initiatives, there are deep-seated problems, many in the wider society, which militate against achievement of equity goals for members of under-represented groups;
• Problems that are not susceptible to action solely within the domain of higher education, require the development of broader educational policies and more cross-sectoral policy co-ordination &endash; but this is very difficult to orchestrate;
• There is often a lack of co-ordinated action across all equity fronts within institutions; this is only partly a resource issue;
• Limitations in the scope and coverage of research and evaluative studies, and what appears to be relatively little funded support especially for longitudinal studies, mean that the knowledge base regarding what works and why (or why not) is unduly limited;
• Financial constraints are often a significant factor in advancing equity, more so for some groups than others, but resource provision cannot be treated in isolation. Difficulties in achieving equity goals may be structural, attitudinal or grounded in institutional norms and long-established institutional beliefs and practices, as much as they are financial;
• Thus attitudes, values and customary practice require sustained attention along with specific, targeted initiatives to advance particular disadvantaged groups.

The report finds that while "it is clear that great advances have been made over several decades in advancing equity in higher education, for both students and staff" that "there are genuine grounds for concern, indicating amongst other things weak policies, inadequate implementation procedures and the ignoring of legislative requirements and agreed procedures."

The report focuses on five main equity groups: low socio-economic status; women and girls; mature age and part-time students; ethnic and other minority groups and persons with a disability. The report examines what progress has been made by each group and the issues still to be resolved.

As well as exploring the persistent problems, the report focuses on approaches, strategies and actions: what works in promoting equity? The authors stress that a variety of approaches are required with the active involvement of a range of actors, at all levels of the education system and in the wider society. Educational inequality must be addressed at all levels of the education system, from pre-school, primary, secondary through to third level education and careers in higher education. "All must contribute if policies are to be effective: individuals, institutions, governments, policy makers, special interest groups and those sections of government departments and specialist agencies that have a direct interest in or responsibility for equity in education in all its forms." While stressing that many different agencies and actors are involved the authors emphasise the role that a higher education co-ordinating and funding agency could play "in increasing awareness of the kinds of action that are needed" and "in vigorously pursuing all elements of a broad equity agenda."

The report ends by emphasising that "it is only through shared responsibility and concerted action that there can be further progress towards a more equitable system of higher education."

Access and Equity in Higher Education: An International Perspective on Issues and Strategies is available from the Higher Education Authority (01-6612748). A short version of the report, Meeting the Equity Challenge in Higher Education: A Review of International Experience is also available from the HEA.