Tertiary Education System - Essay Example

? Report Tertiary Education System Charles Darwin Table of Content Content Page Introduction………………………………………………………3 Aim………………………………………………………………….…….3 Scope……………………………………………………………….……..3 Source…………………………………………………………………..…3 2. Findings ………………………………………………………….3 i. Background…..……………………………………….………3 ii. Advantages of Enabling programmes to:……………………..4 a) Institution……………………………………………………..4 b) Community……………………………………………………4 c) Students (Pathways)…………………………………………..5 iii. Challenges/Disadvantages…………………………………….5 iv. Foundation Programmes……………………………………….6 3. Summary/Conclusion………………….………………..……......6 4. References………………………………………………………..8 Report: Education Programmes at different levels of Study 1. Introduction I. Aim The aim of this report is to examine the role of enabling and foundation programmes for tertiary education systems in different universities and its benefits to students and the community at large. It also examines the disadvantages of enabling programmes in universities. II. Scope The report is restricted to the role of enabling programmes in education systems of different universities. III. Source The findings of this report are acquired from the internet sources like websites and academic articles, precise academic journals and publications. 2. Findings I. Background Information The tertiary education system is a substitute entry trail to undergraduate education at the University level and it is very different from the direct degree programs like secondary education, Law and physiotherapy. The course lengths for tertiary programs are mostly half year with about fifteen contact hours every week. Enabling courses are often varied since there are no excessive rules or principles meaning that several people have access to the programmes when they reach that level of education. These enabling programmes are reacting positively to the local requirements and the broader needs of communities. They vary from short introductory programmes, on-going education support to comprehensive preparatory courses (Cantwell & Grayson, 2002). Tertiary education enabling programmes have been established in conjunction with other institutions like TAFE, secondary education among others. Just like any other level of education, the tertiary enabling programmes also require students to prepare well, be motivated and supported to excel. In terms of fees, the tertiary education system varies from one university to another in terms of course funding. Tertiary enabling programmes are very helpful to students and the communities because they enable students become successful adults after completing their university education, which leaves them with knowledge and skills to handle serious issues such as career and employment (Archer, Cantwell & Bourke, 1999) Note that the enabling programmes can work excellently if they are connected to different initiatives for one year. Therefore, it is important to convince faculties to slot in enabling progressions into their undergraduate programs in order to meet the needs of the students and the society. II. Advantages of Enabling Programmes to: a) Institution Enable a higher preservation tempo of the student population in an institution. Enable superior achievement of the students in terms of their scores in class (Carmichael & Taylor, 2005). Reinforces its relationship with the society. The students can become role models to others and improve their performance in class. The weak students get motivation and learn ideas to succeed in their academics from the strong students in class (Carmichael & Taylor, 2005). There is diversity which enables other students to benefit through interactions. Illustrates the evenhandedness and the courses on offer at the institutions. b) Community Folks and pals are in touch with their children progress at the institutions. The repute of secondary education and TAFE assists students get places in universities (Powell, Lawley & Raciti, 2006). The programs reveal the reputation of various secondary schools which facilitates the consideration of students for vacancies in the universities. Develops association with the university Results to human capital to the community Civilizes universities (Levy & Murray, 2005). The university students are civilized because they are updated of what is required of them in the universities. c) Students (Pathways) Students are in a better position to join universities using two main pathways By reaching the required entry mark through enabling courses Through an evaluation, of their academic intelligence and their incentive. These two pathways are benefits to the students because they are able to join the universities if they work hard (Muldoon et al.2009). III. Challenges/disadvantages Although the tertiary enabling programs have numerous advantages, they have a few disadvantages. Some of the advantages include: There is an increase in workload of the staff at the universities. The staff of several universities and colleges is often unhappy because there is the rise in teaching loads, deteriorating staff/student ratios from the initial 1980s ratio of 1/12 to 1/19 in recent years. There is also reduction and elimination of traditional fields like physics, classics among others. Moreover, the administrations of several universities are inquiring for more suppleness to specialize, charge fees among other activities (Mallory &Mallory, 2010). The programs are a burden to the students due to the cost of resources such as textbooks IV. Foundation Programmes Foundation programmes also called access or bridging programmes are the link between required qualifications by the university and the qualifications a student has attained to join the undergraduate degree programme (British Council Education Information). Several further education colleges, tutorial colleges, sixth-form colleges and higher education institutions such as universities encompass these courses (Cooper, 2010). Most of the foundation programmes are modeled in a way that they groom the students for progression to the degree programmes mainly at the linked universities. The foundation programmes normally takes one full academic year unlike the enabling programme, which takes half a year (British Council Education Information). This means that the programme is between 30 to 34 weeks long with two main tracks usually six months each (Mallory &Mallory, 2010). All the international foundation programmes include English due to the presence of international students and it is mostly evaluated by finishing coursework and proceeding to the exam. 3. Summary/Conclusion The tertiary enabling programmes have numerous advantages to the institution, the community and the students themselves. Some of the advantages that the progammes have to the institutions include that they help in sustaining a high number of student population in the school and also improve the general performance of the students. The programmes assist in spreading the good reputation of some high performing secondary schools and thus enable the students to get vacancies in universities. Note that the enabling programmes can work excellently if they are connected to different initiatives for one year. Therefore, it is important to convince faculties to slot in enabling progressions into their undergraduate programs in order to meet the needs of the students and the society. The Tertiary Enabling programmes are a burden to the university staffs who claim that the programmes are an extra burden. 4. References Archer, J., Cantwell, R. & Bourke, S. Coping at University: an examination of achievement, motivation, self-regulation, confidence, and method of entry. Higher Education Research & Development, Vol. 18, No. 1, 1999 Bedford, T. 2009. Beyond our control?: Pre-tertiary bridging program students’ perceptions of factors that affect their progress with study. Open Access College, University of Southern Queensland, Australia, 2009 Cantwell, R. & Grayson, R. Individual Differences Among Enabling Students: a comparison across three enabling programmes. Journal of Further and Higher Education, Vol. 26, No. 4, 2002 Carmichael, C. & Taylor. Analysis of student’s beliefs in a tertiary preparatory mathematics course. International Journal of Mathematics Education in Science and Technology, Vol. 36, No.1, 2005, 713-719 Cooper, M. Papers from the 19th Annual conference of the European Access Network Sodertorn University, Stockholm, Sweden 14-16 June 2010 Levy, S. & Murray, J. Tertiary Entrance Scores Need Not Determine Academic Success: An analysis of student performance in an equity and access program.Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management Vol. 27, No. 1, March 2005, pp. 129-140 Mallory, O. &Mallory. 2010. CQ Connections-Breaking through the barriers to tertiary education. Central Queensland University McKenzie, K. & Schweitzer, R. Who Succeeds at University? Factors predicting academic performance in first year Australian university students.Higher Education Research & Development, Vol. 20, No. 1, 2001 Muldoon, R. et al.2009. The UNE Pathways Enabling Program- a case study. Teaching and Learning Center, University of New England. Powell, B, Lawley, M. & Raciti, M. 2006. Australia Indigenous Students: Exploring the Decision to Enter Higher Education. University of the Sunshine Coast. Read More