4. IMPLICATIONS FOR VICTORIAN POLICY SETTINGSThis section draws on the findings from the literature review, mapping exercise and case studies analysed to identify better practice approaches to improving education aspirations, identify gaps in the Victorian system and opportunities for future interventions, levers and policy development.

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Identified gapsKPMG's mapping of current programs and interventions has identified a number of gaps in Victorian policy settings, relative to the areas of impact identified in the literature review. These gaps are highlighted below, and then explained in further detail on the following pages, along with suggested potential future interventions, levers and policy interventions. Gaps have been found in relation to:

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Identified gaps

Evidence-based evaluations of successful approaches to improving student aspiration have concurred with Gottfredson’s theory of Circumscription and Compromise – interventions need to target students (and their parents and communities) in their early years in order to be most effective. By the time a student is 6-8 years of age they are able to make decisions about their future based on more nuanced, complex distinctions, and the impact of their parents attitudes on education are already having an impact on their future education aspirations.1 By the a time a child is 9-13 years of age, they often dismiss a large number of occupations for being the wrong gender, or being ‘low or high level’ or beyond their capabilities.2 Successful interventions, such as the Aimhigher program, have therefore begun to focus on students and their parents much earlier than the latter secondary school years. However, in Victoria it seems that there are more interventions with a specific focus on improving aspiration in the latter secondary years than in the critical, earlier years. The impact that the schooling system itself plays in improving attitudes to further education should not be underestimated, however as already indicated, this analysis focused on interventions and programs with the specific and primary objective of improving education aspirations.

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1, 2. Leslie Morrison Gutman and Rodie Akeman, ‘Determinants of aspirations’ (Research Report No 27, Centre for Research

on the Wider Benefits of Learning, University of London, 2008) 3.

Identified gaps

Regional students generally face multiple barriers to participation in higher levels of education, and therefore require multiple interventions and supports. Research has therefore found that a multi-faceted approach to improving student education aspiration is necessary, as no single intervention will be sufficient to overcome the various barriers to education participation.Approximately 50 per cent of the total interventions analysed as part of this project demonstrate a multi-faceted approach to some degree. However, due to the data limitations and lack of funding or program scope data, the study has been unable to ascertain the reach and magnitude of these programs to make more concrete assessments as to their suitability, and the geographic appropriateness of these (see Gap 6).Despite the current number of multi-faceted interventions, gaps and opportunities for improvement remain. There appears to be a significant number of discrete interventions across the State, and significant opportunities for government to play an overall coordinating role to encourage the development and targeting of evidence-based multi-faceted approaches.

Multi-faceted approaches

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Identified gaps

As already discussed, students' attitudes towards education are formed at a young age. Research has found that parental and community attitudes have a significant impact on a student's attitude towards education, and consequently their education aspiration. While the study was unable to establish the magnitude and reach of programs (in terms of funding or student numbers), it seems from analysis of simply the number of programs, that there is room for improvement across all regions to better connect parents and community with initiatives to improve a student’s education aspiration. Although information provision constitutes one method of improving parental and community engagement, improving attitudes towards and perceptions of the value and attainability of education (particularly post-compulsory education qualifications) is of fundamental importance, and necessitates a ‘cultural shift’ among regional families and communities.

Number of initiatives that target parent and community engagement, by region

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Identified gaps

Number of interventions with financial support component

Financial barriers are critical impediments to regional students’ education aspiration. Economic difficulties interact with a number of other social factors to significantly influence young people’s hopes and plans, making it difficult (if not impossible) for some young people to consider aspiring towards expensive tertiary education pathways. Whilst researchers identify the completion of Year 12 (and the factors influencing this) as being the biggest barrier to tertiary participation, the Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport identified the financial costs of relocating to a preferred course as the greatest barrier to regional students in pursuing tertiary education opportunities.1

Whilst multi-faceted approaches have been found to be the most effective interventions to improving education aspiration and consequently a student’s highest level of educational attainment, research has also found that in order for these approaches to be most effective, they need to include intervention(s) that address the financial barriers to further learning. Only 12 of the interventions analysed have an element of financial support; 87 per cent (or 82 programs, initiatives or interventions) do not have any financial support component.

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1. Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee, Parliament of Australia, Rural and Regional Access

to Secondary and Tertiary Education Opportunities (2009) [3.17].

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Identified gaps

Initiatives with the objective of improving attitudes toward education by region

Once out of the school system, there are very few apparent interventions to improve education aspiration, despite these cohorts likely to be at risk of disengaging from the broader education system, and consequently not achieving the economic, health and social outcomes that come from higher levels of educational attainment.The Youth Partnerships pilot has demonstrated that a holistic approach to targeting and improving educational outcomes for these cohorts is often required to access these at-risk students. Collaboration between government, community agencies, schools and other service providers enables the development of co-ordinated, comprehensive approaches to address the multiple barriers to student retention and engagement in the education and training system.

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Identified gaps

As discussed in the methodology section, due to the data provided to KPMG, KPMG was only able to undertake the intervention analysis in relation to the number of interventions rather than the magnitude and reach of programs and initiatives. This includes the funding provided to each program and the number of students (both potential and actual) that each intervention reaches.

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Recommendations for potential future interventions, levers and policy interventionsEach of the gaps identified on the previous pages, along with the literature review and cast studies, provide opportunities for future interventions, levers and policy interventions.

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Potential future indicators – leading indicatorsAs a number of factors contribute to the development of education aspirations, there is no single indicator by which to measure education aspirations. Effective policy development and implementation relies on the application of evidence-based programs and interventions which are demonstrated to deliver sought outcomes. As such, the identification of potential baseline indicators by which to measure education aspirations is a key consideration in program design, implementation and evaluation.As a number of factors contribute to the development of education aspirations, there is no single indicator by which to measure education aspirations. Instead, a range of indicators collected at the school and post-compulsory education levels can be used to develop a holistic view regarding education aspirations. These indicators are separated into: leading indicators (i.e. short-term predictors of education aspirations which change

prior to participation in post-compulsory education opportunities); and lagging indicators (i.e. longer-term indicators of regional participation in post-

compulsory education opportunities).

Leading Indicators

1. Jennifer Baxter and Kelly Hand, ‘Access to early childhood education in Australia’ (Research Report No 24,

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Australian Institute of Family Studies, April 2013) 2.

Leading Indicators Cont'd

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Potential future indicators – lagging indicatorsLagging Indicators

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Lagging Indicators Cont'd

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