Access to Education in Europe: A Framework and Agenda for System Change (Lifelong Learning Book Series, 21)

This book identifies key elements of an international framework to develop systems-level change to promote access to education, including higher education, for socio-economically marginalized groups. It is based on interviews with senior government officials and senior management in universities, non formal education and prisons across 12 countries in Europe. The book identifies systemic obstacles to and opportunities for promotion of access to education for socio-economically excluded groups that are issues transferable to other countries’ contexts. It adopts a systemic focus on access across a range of domains of education, both formal higher education and non-formal education, as well as prison education. Through a focus on a more dynamic structuralist systems framework it develops an innovative post-Bronfenbrennerian view of system levels in lifespan developmental and educational psychology. It also develops an international agenda for reform in relation to these various system levels for access to education for socio-economically marginalized groups, through extraction of key structural indicators to evaluate reform progress in a transparent, culturally sensitive manner. The book identifies current gaps and strengths in policy, practice and structures that impact upon access to education, including higher education, across a range of countries. These gaps and strengths are illustrative and are to inform a strategic approach to system level change and development for the promotion of access to education for socio-economically marginalized groups in Europe and beyond. __“Too many educational practices entrench social exclusion: it is an urgent priority across Europe that social justice policies are implemented for the inclusion of marginalised groups. Paul Downes' analysis of these issues is timely. His conclusions are considered and practical: this book is a valuable and constructive resource for practitioners, academics and the policy community.”__**Professor Alistair Ross**, Jean Monnet __ad Personam__ Professor of Citizenship Education in Europe, Emeritus Professor of Education, Institute for Policy Studies in Education, London Metropolitan University This book identifies key elements of an international framework to develop systems-level change to promote access to education, including higher education, for socio-economically marginalized groups. It is based on interviews with senior government officials and senior management in universities, non formal education and prisons across 12 countries in Europe. The book identifies systemic obstacles to and opportunities for promotion of access to education for socio-economically excluded groups that are issues transferable to other countries' contexts. It adopts a systemic focus on access across a range of domains of education, both formal higher education and non-formal education, as well as prison education. Through a focus on a more dynamic structuralist systems framework it develops an innovative post-Bronfenbrennerian view of system levels in lifespan developmental and educational psychology. It also develops an international agenda for reform in relation to these various system levels for access to education for socio-economically marginalized groups, through extraction of key structural indicators to evaluate reform progress in a transparent, culturally sensitive manner. The book identifies current gaps and strengths in policy, practice and structures that impact upon access to education, including higher education, across a range of countries. These gaps and strengths are illustrative and are to inform a strategic approach to system level change and development for the promotion of access to education for socio-economically marginalized groups in Europe and beyond. "Too many educational practices entrench social exclusion: it is an urgent priority across Europe that social justice policies are implemented for the inclusion of marginalised groups. Paul Downes' analysis of these issues is timely. His conclusions are considered and practical: this book is a valuable and constructive resource for practitioners, academics and the policy community." Professor Alistair Ross , Jean Monnet ad Personam Professor of Citizenship Education in Europe, Emeritus Professor of Education, Institute for Policy Studies in Education, London Metropolitan University Front Matter....Pages i-xviii Introduction: Developing a Conceptual Framework for Access to Education for Socio-economically Marginalised Groups: A Systems Focus....Pages 1-14 System Blockages for Access to Education in Europe: Paper Commitments and Substantive Gaps....Pages 15-28 Conceptual Framework and Agenda: Beyond Bronfenbrenner (1979, 1995) to Interrogation of Blocked Systems via Structural Indicators....Pages 29-48 Structural Indicators for System Level Change for Access to Education for Marginalised Groups....Pages 49-67 Access to Higher Education for Socio-economically Marginalised Groups: Indicators at Macro-Exo Levels....Pages 69-84 Access to Higher Education for Socio-economically Marginalised Groups: Indicators at Macro-Exo Levels....Pages 85-109 Access to Higher Education for Socio-economically Marginalised Groups: Indicators at Micro-Meso Levels....Pages 111-142 Non-formal Education: Indicators at Macro-Exo Levels....Pages 143-172 Non-formal Education: Indicators at Micro-Meso Levels....Pages 173-190 Prison Education: Indicators at Macro-Exo Levels....Pages 191-204 Prison Education: Indicators at Micro-Meso Levels....Pages 205-226 Conclusion....Pages 227-249 Back Matter....Pages 251-267