| DEPARTMENT of EDUCATION Tasmanian Curriculum |
Equity in Schooling: Policy & Implementation Plan
Schools and colleges must ensure that all students have equitable access to the benefits of education irrespective of their sex, culture, linguistic background, race, location, sexuality, socio-economic background or disability. They must pursue equity for all enrolled students but should especially focus on those groups of students who are known to gain significantly less from their education than the population as a whole.
1. Definition
Equity—In the National Strategy for Equity in Schooling (1994), equity is defined as
" ... the concept of equal access to school education and the fair and just distribution of benefits from the school education system. The concept is based on the belief that all children have the right to an effective education."
2. Rationale
- Education is a major means of achieving a more just and equitable society. The Tasmanian Government is committed to ensuring equity in education through minimising disadvantage to students that may result from their background or the way education is provided.
- A commitment to educational equity is fundamental to a democracy. It is a recognition of the entitlement of all students to an education which meets their needs. In a fair and egalitarian society in which all people are considered to have equal worth and equal rights, a commitment to principles of educational equity is essential.
- The Department of Education believes that there are significant numbers of young people at school today who are disadvantaged in a way which makes their educational experience less rich, less rewarding and less effective than it should be. The range of educational outcomes for these students is far more limited than it is for the student population as a whole. This situation is considered to be unacceptable because educational success is crucial to every student's future.
- At the most obvious level, all those involved in education need to consider why students from defined groups generally do not participate in schooling to the same extent as other students and do not achieve the same range of outcomes.
- There are things that schools can do to make a difference and that are within their responsibilities. The most effective contribution schools can make to a more socially just society falls within their distinctive area of responsibility for learning. Schools can decisively change students' lives by ensuring that at all stages of schooling, all students, irrespective of background, achieve sufficiently well to participate successfully at a higher stage. They can also give students knowledge and a sense of control over their circumstances.
The evidence is that some schools are already doing better than others in terms of the participation and achievement of students from similar background:
"...two pupils from outwardly similar backgrounds and with similar intellectual abilities can perform differently at two outwardly similar schools because of the unique blend of academic and social circumstances to be found within the two establishments (Reid, Hopkins and Holly 1987, 4).
- Education systems have a fundamental duty to ensure that schools do not unnecessarily perpetuate or exacerbate the effects of being disadvantaged. In simple terms, schools cannot avoid a commitment to equity without condoning continued inequities. Schools cannot avoid expounding a set of values, a philosophy and ideology which construct the social world of students in that school. Provision for equity is therefore an essential part of education, not a form of welfare provision that may or may not be provided.
- Some aspects of inequity stem from factors which are beyond the control of schools. These include the media, the family, and economic and political influences which affect the capacity of students to make the most of their time at school. The education system cannot be expected to overcome them all. Nor can schools alone effect the degree of change needed to equalise educational attainment among educationally disadvantaged groups.
3. Principles
This policy is based on the principles outlined below.
- Significant differences in educational participation and outcomes should not result from ethnicity, socio-economic status, race, sex, physical or sensory ability, isolation or geographic location or any other variable irrelevant to education participation and achievement.
- No student should be deprived of educational opportunities which lead to satisfying, responsible and productive lives.
- Government schools have responsibility for all groups of students, not just for those groups which form the majority.
- Schools should aim to educate all students from the local community who wish to be enrolled. School programs should be tailored to match the capabilities and needs of all students.
- Everyone in the school community has responsibility for contributing to equity in education.
- Equity is an essential requirement in education. It is not optional.
- Principles of equity should permeate all mainstream policies and practices, not be additional or separate issues for school planning.
- A curriculum is not value neutral. Schools should respond to diversity of need and experience, respect distinctive cultural and racial identities, and value contributions of all ability groups by making appropriate educational provision.
- The content, language and methodology of education programs should be flexible in order to meet the educational needs of all students.
- Schools should provide a learning environment that is free from harassment, bias and discriminatory practices and one that promotes personal respect and physical and emotional safety.
- Some students need a greater share of resources than others in order to have the opportunity for equality of outcomes and participation. This has implications for the setting of priorities.
- Strategies about equity should focus on specific goals aimed at measurable outcomes.
4. Target Groups
Research indicates that despite improvements in recent years there are still considerable differences in educational outcomes for some groups of students. The groups identified as experiencing particular educational disadvantage are:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students;
- students with disabilities;
- students with language backgrounds other than English;
- students with backgrounds of poverty and low social status;
- students who are disadvantaged through isolation; and
- students who are at risk of leaving school early.
Gender education has also been identified as a mainstream issue in Tasmanian schools. The Gender Implementation Plan 1993-97 identifies priority areas for action. Gender inequities will intersect with and, in most cases, compound the educational disadvantages experienced by other target groups. Similarly, multiple and cumulative disadvantage may also exist where students belong to more than one of these groups.
Students who are gifted may have special needs. However students who are gifted cannot be identified as a group whose educational outcomes are significantly lower than for the general population of students. Students who are gifted may be included in the equity target groups.
5. Goals of this Policy
Equality of opportunity has been the objective of many educational policies in past years. The goal of this policy goes beyond just the provision of equal opportunity for all students. The overall goal of this policy is for the participation and performance of any group of students to approach as closely as possible the levels of the student population as a whole. To achieve this, schools will need to monitor the educational experiences of identified groups and plan action to redress demonstrated disadvantage. The monitoring and subsequent action should focus on the following aspects of schooling:
Goal 1: Access and Attendance
To ensure that all students have access to education and attend school regularly.
Students need to have access to educational facilities and attend school regularly to get maximum benefit from education. Access and attendance are the prerequisites for participation, retention and attainment. Poor attendance leads to inability to participate in the curriculum and to lower attainment. This in turn leads to decreased attendance. Students who attend irregularly are also unlikely to remain at school until the end of year 12.
Students in the target groups are over-represented in those groups identified as having restricted access or frequent absence. This may occur despite the best efforts of schools to encourage attendance and facilitate access.
Goal 2: Access and Participation in the Curriculum
To ensure that all students have access to and participate in a full, relevant and challenging curriculum.
Curriculum means all the provisions that schools make for students' learning and development. It comprises the content of courses, the activities involved, the teaching methods, the learning environment, the values espoused, the relationships within the educational community, the way teachers and classes are organised, and the use of resources. (Our Children The Future, A Curriculum for Children 1991, 5)
Parents and teachers often make assumptions about student capability. Such assumptions, often disguised within theories of individual differences, have meant that some students have been denied access to a comprehensive and inclusive curriculum. Moreover, some students have been denied the chance of successful performance in the curriculum.
Goal 3: Retention at School
To ensure that all students continue at school until the completion of year 12.
Despite many educational initiatives designed to encourage students to remain in education until year 12, the retention rates continue to fluctuate. There is still a large number of students who leave school early and these students are known to be at higher risk of chronic unemployment.
Goal 4: Parent Participation
To increase the participation of parents in the school community.
It is accepted that a close relationship between teachers, parents and students improves student success at school. Students are disadvantaged if their parents are unable to participate in decisions about their children's education.
Goal 5: Attainment and Success at School
To improve the attainment and success of all student groups at all levels of schooling.
In addition to participation at school, students need to experience success there. Provision of equity in schools is an issue because some schools do not sufficiently provide for all groups to succeed.
The most significant effect that schools can have on a student's life chances is to improve their attainment at all stages of schooling:
The most effective contribution schools can make to a more socially just society falls within their distinctive responsibility for learning. They cannot decisively change socially disadvantaged aspects of students' lives beyond school. But they can become more powerful in ensuring that, at all stages of schooling, the maximum proportion of students, irrespective of social background, achieve sufficiently well in commonly important learnings to participate successfully at a higher stage. (Blackburn 1989, p9.)
In a large group of students there will be a wide range of student performance. The range of educational outcomes and the level of success in achieving them are demonstrably and unacceptably lower for the target groups defined in this document than for the total population of students. The intent of this policy is that over time such disparities will be eliminated.
Questions concerning its content may be directed by email to ServiceCentre@education.tas.gov.au or telephone 1800 816 057. This page was last modified on 7th March 2008. You are directed to the disclaimer and copyright notice and a Personal Information Protection statement governing the information provided. |