Enhancing Higher Education Opportunities for Educationally Disadvantaged Secondary Students: a Cross-Sectoral Partnership

Enhancing Higher Education Opportunities for Educationally Disadvantaged Secondary Students: a cross-sectoral partnership
Deborah Tranter Senior Project Officer: Equity University of South Australia Abstract: For many students from low socio-economic backgrounds, university is an alien and inaccessible notion, as far removed from them conceptually as it often is geographically. It is becoming increasingly difficult for students from the most disadvantaged regions of Australia to bridge the divide and gain admission to higher education. This paper will discuss a range of initiatives developed by the University of South Australia, in collaboration with the S. A. Education Department, to help increase the access of students from disadvantaged schools. These initiatives include: USANET: an outreach and access scheme for year 12 students from schools designated as disadvantaged by the Education Department. UniSA-PAL: a preparatory program coordinated and moderated by UniSA staff but taught to adult year 12 students by Education Department staff at five adult secondary colleges in Adelaide. Portfolio Entry: a trial alternative entry scheme for year 12 students (both continuing and adult reentry) from13 of the most educationally disadvantaged schools in the state University Orientation Program/peer mentoring: an initiative which combines a semester-length elective subject on peer mentoring for UniSA students with an ‘introduction to university’ option for year 11 students from the socio-economically disadvantaged northern suburbs of Adelaide. The paper will draw on research undertaken as part of my doctoral studies into the influence of the school environment on students’ aspirations to higher education as well as evaluations undertaken of the initiatives above and research undertaken elsewhere. Introduction The University of South Australia has a well-established commitment to equity and a national reputation for innovative practices in the area. In particular, the

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