Extended access to qualified higher education- coping with a new and changing environment - Preamble
ESIB – The National Unions of Students in Europe has existed since 1982 to promote
educational, social, economic and cultural interests of students at a European level, and
towards all relevant organizations and institutions. ESIB currently has 37 member
organizations from 31 countries. Through its member National Unions of Students, ESIB
represents more than six million students – the majority of the students in Europe. ESIB is an important stakeholder in higher education (HE) since it builds on
democratically elected national unions of students, who are relevant in shaping their
national HE policies. Therefore, we believe it is our duty to express our opinions on
significant questions concerning students and education. The question of access to HE
has always been a fundamental issue for students in Europe and the rest of the world. The
promotion of equal access to HE for all is enshrined in the primary objectives of ESIB. In
light of recent developments of access, it is felt that ESIB must address the matter in
order that HE institutions (HEI) avail of the new opportunities and avoid the new threats. Introduction
New providers have provoked several recent developments in the educational field. These
new providers include institutions using new ways of teaching and learning – for example
the Internet – as well as new educational institutions, both profit and social profit. Established institutions are also providing new services of education. They have widened
the range of education. Similarly, increasing international mobility allows students and
lecturers a wider horizon of knowledge and personal development. The increasing number of educational providers incites a competitive element. Students,
institutions and governments now face difficult policy choices and are looking for an
appropriate response. This policy paper describes the common policy of European students towards these new
providers and the state’s role in addressing it. For this, the paper draws from on existing
ESIB policy, and specifically on the ESIB Policy Statement on Access to Higher
Education and on the policy paper New Tools for Changing Goals – Educating for the
Information Society. Access for all
Education is a human right. Thus everybody must have free access to HE. By free access,
it is understood that everybody has the opportunity to enter HEIs regardless of political
belief, nationality, religion, ethnic or cultural origin, gender, sexual orientation, social
standing or any disability they may have. Everyone must also have the right to life long
learning, everybody must have access, and just as for every other form of HE, it is a basic
and indisputable right. The European Community Memorandum on Higher Education
emphasises the political need to ‘achieve equal opportunities regarding the access to all
forms of education.’ Access is not simply providing entry to HE but also about
completing studies. There are still obstacles to free access to HE in European Countries, for example fees,
unreasonably difficult examinations after the first year, numerous clauses, family
background, entrance exams after qualifying education, entrance degrees, compulsory
practical experience, study subjects connected to the secondary school courses,
availability of the internet. Many of the obstacles are financial, so it is necessary to solve
this problem. Access to HE should be based on ability to learn and not the ability to pay. Social and cultural difficulties play a major part and need to be tackled, for example,
discrimination against minorities. In order not to harm quality, public resources should be increased in response to the
broadening of access. The government, state bodies and the institutions are responsible
for HE, and the quality of HE that is provided. That means that they have to ensure the
quality of the education that they are providing. Students in developed HEIs contribute to
the quality of the institutions. Governing education
The rise of new providers promotes the competition between providers of HE throughout
the world. States must be aware of their responsibility in this area, and must be taking this
into account when financing HE institutions. Governments must be aware that the rise of
private and non-funded institutions, such as company owned ‘corporate universities’,
does not relieve them of their responsibility in providing education. Subsidised HE is
needed, and its quality has to be assured, because admission to courses offered by new
providers is not always guaranteed. Governments have the responsibility to identify new providers of HE and see if they fulfil
the basic requirements. Through international co-operation and the government or state
bodies can share information by the establishment of a common database. Through
evaluation, quality assurance and official accreditation the government can monitor and
regulate the educational system and make it more transparent. By accreditation the
institution is entitled to award degrees officially recognised by the state. Evaluation and
accreditation make it easier for students to navigate in the jungle of HE and also protects
them from questionable providers. Unaccredited institutions can be valuable to society,
but should not be able to issue official degrees. Nonetheless, there will be ‘gaps’ to be
filled by these institutions, such as specialised staff training in companies. The focus is on
skills rather than on degrees. When defining the criteria for accreditation and quality assurance, the national student
union concerned must take part. When evaluating new providers students at that
particular institution must be involved and given the opportunity to contribute. Moreover
in all HEIs, students ought to be in a position to contribute to the upgrading of quality in
their institutions. The evaluation of a HEI must be student centred, for example the HEI
must include its students in quality control and must have student guidance. This
evaluation must not be a ranking, but a public evaluation without making comparisons:
the criteria for this evaluation must be national, regional as well as internationally based,
with consideration for the different expectations and visions stated by different educators. Students in recognised distance learning institutions and private HEIs must be given the
same status and benefits as other students and therefore have the same right to student
financing systems, whether it be student grants or loans. The same applies if students
have any special right in health care, tax reductions or special discounts etc. HEIs need to improve their information policies. Both HEIs and the state must offer
independent information through institutions on the local and national level, which gather
all the information about the HEIs and make it available to all students and people who
want to enter HEIs. These institutions should issue publications on the HEIs where the
specific developments, programmes and specialised fields of research of the HEIs are
promoted. Thus, it would be easier for them to attract students with concrete offers. These information institutions should co-operate on an international level, according to
results of the evaluations done in the countries and respecting the diversity of the
different systems of HE. This will facilitate the mobility of students from all over the
world as well as enhancing mobility. Co-operation between experts from the corporate world and the HEIs concerning the
education of learners must be made possible and even stimulated by the government, but
it must also be controlled: lecturers from the professional world could add to the quality
of the course. The institutions have extensive knowledge on the fundamental and applied
aspect of science, while professionals from the corporate world are experts on the
practical aspect of science. The responsibility for this education however must always be
with an accredited HEI, under the supervision of the government. Students encourage international co-operation and the recent founding of a network of
national accreditation bodies is a direct response to this. Through co-operating student
mobility can be increased. Students encourage international co-operation and the recent
founding of a network of national quality assurance agencies is a direct response to this.
Through co-operation student mobility can be increased. The distant campus
In modern education, students and lecturers now have the opportunity of studying abroad
and of making use of distance learning. Problems exist for students in both of these fields
and measures have to be taken. The rights available to the student nationally must be available regardless of where they
choose to study. All financial support structures available for students must be mobile,
regardless of the location of the study, or programme of exchange. Funding for exchange,
duration of the programmes and the scope of the programmes themselves must be
extended in order to properly encourage mobility. Similarly, the promotion of the
European Credit Transfer System and the Diploma Supplement should be conducted by
the state. The state is responsible for supporting students living costs. Furthermore the
state has a responsibility to promote more reciprocal bilateral agreements between
different universities and other countries to ensure the continuance of mobility in Europe. All this provision for further mobility is notwithstanding the states’ responsibility to
strive to provide the highest quality education for all the residents of the country. However, if the sending states are financially unable to provide students with health
services, the receiving country has to ensure the health care of the students. There is need for a comprehensive International Affairs Office (IAO) in all HEIs that are
fully incorporated in the daily educational affairs of the institutions. These offices would
be required to deal with international students – students on exchange programmes and
non-native diploma students. An IAO must serve as a centre for the development of study
agreements, institutional bilateral agreements, and also be fully aware of current
European policy, research and reports. Similarly, it would be expected that the IAO
would be responsible for the distribution of information materials relating to the
institution, locality, language, etc. and the provision of a language and culture training
course. IAOs must operate in consultation with student organisations, and avail of their
resources and expertise. It should also be the responsibility of the student organisation to
ensure that any international students are fully integrated into their organisation, as well
as into the student life of the college. The HEI has a responsibility to ensure that international students are housed within easy
access of its facilities. Integrated accommodation is preferable to the creation of an
artificial and separate international students community in accommodation specifically
allocated for them. Where such provisions are available, it is preferable that student
purpose accommodation be offered to international students as an option at a nondiscriminatory
fashion. It would be advisable that in such cases, the expertise of the
students’ union be brought to bear on the issue. It is envisaged that such assistance would
be financially compensated by the IAO. There must be no restrictions on any students on the basis of being a holder of an
International Study Visa. Therefore, it is desirable that international students have the
option to seek and pursue part-time employment. The same rules and rights must apply
for all students. The creation of work agencies can potentially help this situation. It must be expected that the sending state will establish and promote health provisions
where applicable for the added security and safety of the international student population. International exchange students should seek health insurance prior to arrival in the
country. The health centres of the HEIs must be fully accessible to international students
studying there. Students must also have the opportunity to belong to the broader international HE
community without having to travel abroad. Technological developments are making
possible new methods of learning and enhancing distance learning, they are in fact
creating virtual universities. To study at a distance learning institution is not the same as
studying at a traditional institution (HEI), but it is a method to overcome certain barriers
which prevent individuals from obtaining a HE. Open and distance learning (ODL) institutions are partially or wholly using multimedia
such as video and Internet or even printed material for educating their learners. It should
be used a way of educating those who do not get the chance at present, such as
inhabitants of distance regions, (future) participants of second chance education. For the
basic HE it must be regarded as a valuable supplemental tool rather than a replacement.
ODL allows ‘cut-to-fit’ education, responding to different learners who have different
needs, both in the content of their course curriculum and in the way that it is delivered. Used properly, it can be a tool to allow equal access for groups which are currently
marginalized by HE. Conclusions
Education is a basic human right. We need to identify and tackle any obstacles to this
right. We must also note the responsibility of the government to identify the trends and
developments and react to them. The time has arrived for the state to consider the
evaluation of such providers and this process should include the student body. Cooperation
within the HE is vital, responsibility for providing accredited HE is an honour
that the state must not distribute lightly. Expertise in this matter must be shared across
international boundaries, as today these boundaries are being eroded through the
profileration of mobility programmes and the wider access to open and distance learning. The rights of the students in each country must be extended and protected to allow for
this mobility of education. International Affairs Offices in association with the student
associations must cater for this. The same rights and rules, such as study financing, must
apply for all students, regardless of studies, methods of studies or international
boundaries. Open and distance learning and international mobility will be of paramount
important in this matter. The true development of this is could prove to be a benefit to the
field of HE. While extended access can enhance the opportunities of many, it is in need
of close regulation and further development. It is the responsibility of the government authorities to ensure that they evolve and
develop themselves in symphony with the rest of the HE sector. Governments must
ensure that the development of the traditional HE sector is not at the expense of the
existing system. New providers can increase access to HE. They are adding to the
diversity of provision of education. Nonetheless, new opportunities can mean new
dangers, and society must be vigilant.
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