悉尼大学生的来源比例

patrickzhu

今天SMH一篇报道里提到了悉尼的大学里生源的情况。

报道说，2008年大学新生里的65%是来自于悉尼北区和东区的私校和公立精英中学。
因为政府的改革要求，大学要扩大来自低阶层家庭背景学生的入学率，从7%增加到12%。

Sydney Uni seeks talent beyond affluent suburbs

Heath Gilmore HIGHER EDUCATION REPORTER
March 6, 2010 - 3:00AM

THE University of Sydney has admitted it needs to address what it calls its ''financial vulnerability'' and broaden its intake beyond elite independent and selective high schools to attract the most talented students.

Unveiling a green paper outlining its future, its vice-chancellor said the student intake had to be extended beyond ''the relatively affluent eastern and northern suburbs of Sydney''. This was not a case of social engineering, Michael Spence said, but a recognition that the most talented and capable students were being excluded by the university.

Dr Spence said that the green paper, which would contribute to a strategic plan to be finalised in July, had been candid about the university's ''strengths and weaknesses''.

Among the proposals is that the university be reorganised into a College of Arts and Sciences. Alongside the college would be five professional schools: the school of business, a school of law, a school of creative and performing arts, a school of medical and health sciences (including the existing medicine, nursing and midwifery, dentistry, pharmacy and health science faculties), and a school of engineering design and the built environment (engineering and information technologies and architecture, planning and design).

It also wants to set up three or four large-scale centres or institutes drawing more than 150 researchers from across the university to focus on issues of international significance. A forerunner of this idea was the centre for obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The green paper suggested the university would need yearly revenue growth of up to 8 per cent for increased infrastructure spending as well as targeting promising students and the brightest researchers.

Dr Spence said the university was financially vulnerable despite recording a $69 million surplus after costs last year. In an emergency this money would only cover five to six weeks of salary. The $400 million held by the university in reserves were mainly in fixed assets which would be difficult to realise in cash to cover a short-term crisis.

One of the contentious areas is the option paper's criticism of the ''disproportionate'' number of enrolments from the eastern suburbs and north shore at the expense of students from poor, regional or indigenous backgrounds.

In 2008, 65 per cent of new undergraduates were drawn from the eastern and northern suburbs largely from independent and selective schools.

The university wants to increase the number of undergraduate students from low socio-economic backgrounds from 7 to 12 per cent using measures such as awarding a five-points bonus on their Australian Tertiary Admission Rank for entry into all undergraduate subjects.

The National Tertiary Education Union branch president, Michael Thomson, said that the university had maintained a facade of broad consultation. He said the union had not been asked to participate in planning for the options paper.

"What this paper fails to do is spell out what jobs will be lost, subjects cut and what students' targets will be to achieve this 12 per cent revenue growth,'' Mr Thomson said.

''When you have $1 billion in endowments there is no way you are financially vulnerable. It's a smokescreen.''


This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/national/e ... -20100305-popd.html

avatar

他们真是自作多情，你让人家背负几万的债务去syd u读一个arts，不让人家几十块去读一个水管工？这根本不是一个大学的问题，即便是免费或者给钱，人家该不去的也不会去。

Buildahouse

原帖由 avatar 于 2010-3-6 10:11 发表
他们真是自作多情，你让人家背负几万的债务去syd u读一个arts，不让人家几十块去读一个水管工？这根本不是一个大学的问题，即便是免费或者给钱，人家该不去的也不会去。

以前澳洲读大学很容易拿到学费减免的，但是即便是免费的，该不去的的确也不去的

patrickzhu

SMH今天继续跟踪报道。

悉尼大学打算采用美国式的大学入学方式招收新生，这样可能将大大降低目前NSW高考成绩（HSC）的重要性。
此举相信是为了响应政府的要求，扩大来自低阶层家庭背景学生的入学率。
悉尼大学也有可能会有另外的入学举措，比如给来自低阶层家庭背景的学生在ATAR上面额外加5分。

这个proposal，理所当然的受到了私校和精英中学的强烈质疑和反对。

看看下面的报道
Quotas planned for uni students

Heath Gilmore
March 19, 2010 - 8:52AM

THE importance of HSC results will be downgraded at one of Australia's most prestigious universities under plans to recruit undergraduates for their leadership qualities and general academic aptitude.

The University of Sydney wants to introduce US-style quota systems with set targets to increase the number of disadvantaged and regional students, and make greater use of aptitude tests, references and general interviews when admitting students.

In a green paper on its future, the university says it is considering ''radical reform'' of its undergraduate recruitment program.

Other possible changes include awarding students from designated disadvantaged schools a five-point bonus to their Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank for entry into undergraduate courses.

A higher education diploma to provide an alternative route to degree-level study for promising students from disadvantaged backgrounds would also be investigated.

Yesterday, the body representing leading private schools expressed fears that the university would implement programs that disadvantaged their students.

"It is a concern that any student misses out on a university place based purely on where he or she attended school,'' said Michael Carr, the acting executive director of the Association of Independent Schools of NSW.
''However, many students attending independent schools also come from disadvantaged backgrounds.''

The university's vice-chancellor, Michael Spence, said the existing admissions system meant the university was missing out on talented students.

He said a ''disproportionate'' number of its enrolments came from the affluent eastern suburbs and north shore, with 65 per cent of new undergraduates from these areas.

''We know where the vast majority of our current students come from and we know that relatively very few come from disadvantaged schools,'' Dr Spence said.

''We also know that those talented students who do come here from disadvantaged backgrounds tend to do as well if not better than others.

''So the real issue is for us to be able to select those students with promise and whether or not the ATAR score should be the arbiter.

''In other words should we use the ATAR score as part of the admissions process but also develop other measures to test for aptitude and leadership as is done at UCLA [University of California, Los Angeles].''

Jenny Allum, the principal of SCEGGS Darlinghurst, said the proposals being put forward were too blunt a measure to redress disadvantage.

''I support Sydney University's attempt to try to recruit the most promising students from all social and cultural backgrounds,'' she said.

''However, I am not sure about giving a five-point ATAR bonus for every student in a school identified as being disadvantaged.

''Perhaps the measure should be applied for specific students, rather than to every student in a particular school because there is always a range of disadvantage within any school.''

Larissa Treskin, the principal of James Ruse Agricultural High School, said she was enthusiastic about initiatives proposed by the university to broaden its student intake. The selective school regularly tops the state for HSC results.

But she said the university should avoid viewing the HSC as a narrow measurement of ability and focus on its ability to foster critical thinking, problem solving and research skills.

''The HSC is not the narrow index that the green paper implies,'' she said.

''It takes the very qualities that Sydney University wants in its graduates such as critical thinking, problem solving and research skills.

''I am confident that our students will do well in whatever system is devised because they are multitalented and demonstrate the broad and deep range of skills needed for global citizenship.''

The green paper, which was presented to staff and students two weeks ago for discussion, will contribute to a strategic plan to be finalised in July.

This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/national/e ... -20100318-qiff.html

[ 本帖最后由 patrickzhu 于 2010-3-19 09:08 编辑 ]

tiehan

看来澳洲的教育在向正确的方向前进了，悉尼大学先试点。