First World Congress on Access to Post-Secondary Education
The first World Congress on Access to Post-Secondary Education was held in Montreal, Canada, between the 7th and 10th October. Board member Luke was there to present OBESSU’s work and advocate its policies on access to education.
An initiative of the European Access Network, the Congress brought together 250 education experts from over 40 countries with the aim of “connecting the unconnected”. The Congress was convened to catalyse a global movement of academics, students and civil society to widen access to higher education.
With 41 school students and students among the delegates, participants tackled issues including access in cities and regions; financing educational opportunities; adult and vocational education; access for indigenous peoples; and students as change agents.
OBESSU participated on a panel about guaranteeing equal opportunities for all and presented its work and policy regarding access to post-secondary education. OBESSU joined with student representatives from around the world to insist that access to education should be recognised as a human right. In the discussions, with institutions such as the Council of Europe and UNESCO present, OBESSU stressed the importance of no fees or hidden costs in education, equality for vocational education and training, and social inclusion.
Over the four days of the Congress there were roughly fifteen plenary discussions and one hundred breakout sessions. Throughout these sessions there was one constant debate that kept arising: whether the value of access is primarily economic or social. By the end of the event the view advocated by the student representatives prevailed, that education is a public good and access is a human right. The congress organisers plan to release a synthesis of the event outcomes in the near future, in which these conclusions should be explored at greater length.
The Congress succeeded in establishing a common agenda for those committed to fairer transitions to post-secondary education. The World Congress is set to reconvene for the second edition in 2015, at Sunway University in Malaysia. At OBESSU, we look forward to continuing participation in the exciting developments of the access movement, onwards and upwards!
Written by Luke Shore, OBESSU Board member
