Curtin U’s research powerhouse on equity in higher education has analysed 14 recent reports to identify core issues. “As change in higher education unfolds rapidly, we need to ensure that equity issues are understood, communicated and incorporated into change processes,” the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education states. Key questions the centre puts on the agenda include;

* “it’s possible that the easy gains in raising participation by equity students have been achieved; marginal improvements may be harder to win.

* “as governments experience ‘budgetary stress’ with greater competition for public expenditure at a time of pressure to reduce government spending, the positive case for equity in higher education may come under pressure.

* “in a more diverse, fragmented and changing environment for skills, there may be a stronger case for a more market-oriented framework to better align the demand for skills from employers with the supply of skills from educational institutions.

* “this consumer-centric approach to skills may point towards supporting individuals rather than equity groups through, for example, individual learning accounts, possibly accompanied by quality careers and employment advice.”