| Abstract [eng] |
Accessibility to higher education (HE) is the necessary condition while striving not only for the knowledge economy, but also for the knowledge society (Drucker, 2001). It is emphasized in the documents of the international organizations as well (OECD, 2006; UNESCO, 1960, 2015), and is primarily underlined by the European Commission (Eurodyce, 2015). UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education (1960) was the essential world level document, which specified all human rights to education, while seeking to ensure “full and equal opportunities for education for all” [Article 1(a)]. The decision of the EU to create the common European HE area (1999) through the Bologna process provided necessary opportunities for underrepresented groups to have an access to HE. The scholars who have researched accessibility to HE (Peters, 2007; Sachs & Schreuer, 2011, etc.) have detected that although the more general understanding of this question exists at the international level, specific countries implement accessibility to HE in rather different ways. It has been agreed that this uneven aspect first of all depends on the different contexts of the countries (Seale, 2013). It is especially visible when analyzing the accessibility of the disadvantaged groups (people with disabilities, women, and ethnic minorities). Thus far, the researchers have not responded to the question: what factors condition differences of the accessibility to HE situation in various countries? This problem requires the attention of researchers. First of all, it relates to the disadvantaged groups, which is the priority of the EU. Therefore, this presentation for the ECER2018 seeks to solve the aforementioned problem, while responding to the highly important research question: what factors condition accessibility differences of the disadvantaged groups to HE in various countries? The aim of this presentation is to detect factors conditioning accessibility differences of the disadvantaged groups to HE in various countries. |
