Education Inequalities (Part I)

Talking about educational policies would be very extense to take a glace of, but at least reviewing what it has been done in the developed world and the developing world in regards to provide access to tertiary education, should be our task on hands.

These days the chances to have a college education are far more dificult than in previous generations, who benefited from generous state incentives and lower tuition fees. In certain parts of Europe tuitions have skyrocketed within the past few years, in contrast with a growing demand for highly skilled workers.

Demographic has conspired in either way, first of all, because of the fewer number of applicants in most programs, the financial resources for grants or scholarships for those who needs it would be less or at least the same than before. In another words, tuitions go up, number of prospective students go down, resulting in a manageable situation.

However the analysis does not stop there, having in consideration the disparity in demographic growth in various groups of the society, the funding assigned for grants and sholarships must be rethought, due to the socio economic profile of the families sending their kids to college, if inclusion is the intention and social harmony the goal.

Now, What is going to happen to those who does not make the cut? Academic standards are getting higher as the world becomes a more competitive environment; nonetheless as a society, Do we have a plan to train or retrain those who lacks of “certified” qualifications to enter a tertiary institution?

The recent events in Madrid involving “Los Indignados”, represents the ever growing number of people feeling left behind by the system and demanding directly from their goverments being taken in consideration. Employment is the most talked issue when dignifying the livelyhood of the young graduates is at stakes.

The technological evolution has deeply affected the approach of goverments into vocational and higher education, with efforts as the ones carried on by american goverments, starting with the Clinton administration, in promoting science related careers.  Still thousands of foreign talent is recruited yearly under the unkind scrutiny of the local press.

In the meantime, Germany has started a program to atract experienced professional, to fill the gap of 100,000 engineers needed by the year 2025 and unable to replace by natural population growth. The german goverment has chosen the selective inmigration program from Canada as the most prone to produce “citizens instead of migrants”.

With an election year ahead in the US, lots of hispanic lobbyists and activist will be watching very closely the unfolding of the Dream Act case, which in any event should function as a measurement tool for young hispanic students in achieving their dream of having a college degree.

The Nature of Public Policy

In amy opinion, a modern approach in the design of public policy should start as an expression of our own reality, segmenting the natural audience in line with a micro vision rather than a broader one, in order to make an effective impact to better people lives. So, Why is it important the making of public policy? Because we need a plan in solving the problems we face as social beings.

Is goverment the only one responsible to make public policies? Public Policy covers the analysis of govermental decisions but not necessarily all the design of the strategies are made by the goverment.

Social issues tend to come first while working towards “courses of action” in meeting the aspirations of the people. However, those aspirations and their priorities would change depending on how diverse the target audience is as a result of cultural, demographical and socio economic factors.

Issues such as: universal health care, inmigration, gender equallity, discrimination based on sexual orientation among others; seem to be first in mind of people rather than sustainable growth or energy security, for example. Not for being more important but for affecting the individuals more directly in regular basis and in their own macro view of the reality.

Are you regularly involved in public policy strategies? Yes, constantly, it must be that way

When parents meet at school to discuss problems as well as creating norms and regulations to improve how the institution functions, they are in presence of “Public Policy”. The only way to change the course of action is by participating in the decision making process.

Before any regulatory measures have been implemented, it is important for the target audience to have an approach in place, that is, a proper strategy with its respective funding priorities, otherwise the survival of the inniciative would be at stakes.

I would leave you for now with an idea to brainstorm, some have agreed to put limits to the state in order not to intrude in people's personal life, i personally would agree, but most importantly it would be to put real limits to the corporations, to have them do their productive purpose only and to strip them out from any political involvement as well as reducing their size to avoid temptations about their agenda in changing your mind and the regulatory nature of goverment.