A Study On The Equity Of Access To Higher Education Action Plan In Ireland

The equity of access to higher education is an eternal issue in different countries’ educational revolution and development. In order to make more people have opportunity to receive higher education, and also enhance the qualities of Irish people,Ireland introduced the first Achieving Equity of Access to Higher Education in Ireland Action plan2005-2007and then the second National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education2008-2013(referred to Equity of Access to Higher Education Action plan) which aimed to resolve the real difficulties of different areas,classes and students with disability.The Action plan has achieved significant effects in nearly10years’implementation.This study starts from the analysis of background of Action Plan, then give a deep research on Action Plan’s key outline and its operation in practice, also the values and features from the aspects of content and contracture. At last, the study puts forward some suggestions for achieving the equity of access to higher education in China.The study consists of six parts:First part: The background of Action Plan. This part gives an detailed analysis of Ireland’s situation of domestic and overseas. The inequity issue of different areas, classes and the unreasonable distribution of education investment arouse government’s attention. Especially recent years, Ireland has achieved sustained and rapid economic development which requires for more talents. In addition, facing those problems, the successful experience of developed countries also provides the strong motives for the produce of Action Plan.Second part:The core outline of Action Plan. This part mainly describes the vision, specific objectives and solutions of the Action Plan. The vision and objectives are all aimed to verify the student communities, make all the people equally have the opportunity of access to higher education regardless of their background, identity, ability and even the age which also narrow the social gap. To fulfill the goals, the Action Plan formulate several action schemes specifically from the capital investment and distribution, teaching and learning practices, supervision and evaluation system, the support service for the students with disability and adults and so on, which gives reference for the definite implementation actions.Third part: The implementation of Action Plan. This part includes a comprehensive survey for the specific implementation of Action Plan through a series of access programs, access police assurance and case study from the micro-level.In this regard, specific to learners with a disability and lower socioeconomic status, mature students, disadvantaged area students, Ireland arranged some action schemes separately. In addition to that program, this part also makes an analysis of the guarantee system of admission, capital and law. Meanwhile, the study would choose Trinity College and Dublin Institute Technology be the case study and give a full analysis from the micro-level.Fourth part:The achievements of Action Plan. This part mainly introduce the active effects of the action plan. Through nearly ten years’hard work, the rate of students from social disadvantaged area access to higher education has an obvious advance; more people have the opportunity to enter the higher school, the admission route become wider. What’s more, Ireland has built an brill ant capital investment and distribution system. School, community and corporate are also more connected to each other which achieving the development of the social partnership.Fifth part: The evaluation for the outline of Action Plan. The part is built by the value features, content features and contracture features. The value features mainly consists of the value of education equity, multicultural and lifelong learning. Content feature concerns on the variety and pertinence of objectives, the partnership and the education quality of disadvantaged students. As for the contracture feature, the action plan has the characteristics of consistence, feasibility and effectiveness.Sixth part: The revelation of Action Plan. On the basis of analyzing the background, core outline, implementation, achievements and characteristics, this part would put forward some flexible suggestions, especially the problems China faced. Those advice are eager to broaden the admission routes which would add the admission chance, establish a sound system of financial support to ensure the effective use of capital, integrate with social forces to promote the balanced development of education.