Social Dimension of Study Financing

8/13/2019 Social Dimension of Study Financing

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Social Dimension of Study Financing

International Conference

Social Dimension Improvement in Environment of University23 January 2014; 13.35 14.00

Vilnius University Scholarly Communication and Information

Centre (SaultekisAve 5, Vilnius)

dr. Romas LazutkaVU professor


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Social dimension of higher education

1. Social dimension means equal access to higher education for allsocial classes

2. It is wide consensus on formal justice - modern societies dontuse formal discrimination in legal regulation

3. However there is a problem with material or social justice

4. Absent of legal restriction does not means equal access in realworld, because of economic and social (income and status)inequality

5. Therefore equal access to higher education is related to

distribution of resources (income)

That is why social dimension is closely linked to mode of study

financing


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Social dimension

of Lithuanian higher education

in sense of equal access

for different economic and social classes

Have we a problem?

No, if we look at average numbers

Yes, it is huge problem, if we look at specific numbers


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Students dont see the problemStudents view on social justice in Lithuanian higher education system,

N=289 (students of Vilnius University and Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences)

By the way, it could be treated as an evidence of low quality of

education

9

51

146

70

130

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

Very bad bad Neither bad,

nor good

good Very good

estimation

Respondents

Lazutka,R., liuait, D. (2012).


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Perhaps students and

society in general dont see

the problem because of high

number of students at

universities

HOWEVER

does high rate of educatedyoung people means equal

access to higher education

in the country?

Persons with tertiary education

attainment:

share of total number of 25-34years old age group,

percent, 2012


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Two feasible risks

high participation rate of young people in higher

education can coexist with two inequalities:

Unequal representation of different economic andsocial classes in higher education

Unequal access of prestigious universities and

desirable study programs for different economic and

social classes


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Unequal representation of different social classes in

higher education in Lithuania(index of university education accessibility from 0 to 100 points;

Survey of Household Budgets, 2008)

68

52

76

58

89

57

70

52

67

24

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

0-1 nepilnametis nam kyje

2-2+ nepilnamei nam kyje

Moteris

Vyras

Yra kit nam kio nari su auktuoju

Nra nam kio nari su auktuoju

Neskursta

Skursta

Neturi negalios

Turi negali

Navick, J., Lazutka, R. (2008).


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Unequal access of prestigious

universities and desirable study

programs for different economic andsocial classes

Students from higher economic and social classesare much more represented in prestigious

university and in most desirable and gainful study

programs


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Representation of various economic and social classes in

universities and study programs of different prestige level

University Study programme Number of respondents

Vilnius

University

Political science 32

Economics 32

Law 23Psychology 41

Total VU: 128

Lithuanian

University of

Educational

Sciences

Psychology 43

Applied history 36

Special pedagogy 22

Russian language 16

Total VPU: 117

Respondents: 1st and 2nd year students of 2010/2011 academic year

VU was 1st and LUES was 10th in 2010 and 2011 in universitiesranking in LT

Most popular study programmes of VU

Accidental study programmes of LUES


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Students social and economic characteristics of most and

less prestigious universities and study programs

VU (%), N=128; LUES (%), N=117

VU LUES

Big cities 45 21

Income of parents >3800Lt 55 7

Personal income > 600Lt 54 23

Apartment renting or living with parents 72 46

At least on of parents has prestigious profession* 61 212 or more grandparents have university education 30 9

At least one of parents have managerial position

(vadovaujaniaspareigas)

48 12

VU LUES

From rural area 15 31

Income of parents


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States response to unequal opportunities

Vouchers based not on social of economic status, but on merits

(on academic achievements mainly before university)

Upper economic and social classes are collecting vouchers

VU LUES

Have studentsvouchers 80 56

Not paying for education are intended to choosethe same study programme in case of paying

50 6

Plan to work because of needs 12 66

Plan to work because of perfection 73 22



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Students view on principles of vouchers distribution, N=289

26

53

64

77

69

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Perfectly unfair unfair Neither fair,

nor unfair

fair

Respondents

Perfectly fair

Estimation



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Market dimension versussocial

dimension of study financing?

Should society pay reward to good consumer of university

services (or good producer of academic grades at the and of

schooling)?

Or should society to cover study costs for those who have not

enough resources (for students with lower economic and

social background)?


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Alternative ways of study financing?

60 +

Income

Age

19-25m.

Loans from bank

or not for profitpublic fund

State budget

(progressive income tax)


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Marginal productivity and income of graduates and not

graduates

60+

Age

19-25m.

graduates

low educated

Income


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Likely student from poor family goes to the bank,

student from better-off family has vouches from State

budget

Two ways of study financing have the same source of

financing (future income of student)

HOWEVERfuture is always uncertain

State budget works as an insurance company for

better-off student but bank does not (State provides insurance for

banks, but not for poor students)


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Actual mix of accessibility and study

financing

Accessibility

Most desirable study

programs and

universities

Less desirable study

programs and

universities

Fin

ancing

Social

support

from State

Upper social classes

Private Lower social classes


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Rational mix of accessibility and study financing

(in period of high rate of emigration)

Accessibility


programs and

universities


programs and

universities

Fin

ancing

Social

support

from

State

Lower social classes

PrivateUpper social classes


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Rational mix of accessibility and study financing

(without emigration)

Accessibility


programs and

universities


programs and

universities

Fin

ancing

Social

supportfrom

State

Lower and upper social classes


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Social dimension of education

works for economic efficiency

Old fashion economists see certain trade-off between

equality and efficiency

Financial constrains for equal access not only unjust, but

also economically irrational, because of loss of talents

from lower social and economic classes

Transformation of study financing could increase both

social justice and economic efficiency


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Thank you

Social Dimension of Study Financing

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