Widening participation in Australian higher education: reforming the school to university pipeline

A recent review of Australian higher education advocated bold new targets for system growth and equity. Arguing that 90 per cent of future jobs would require postsecondary qualifications, the Australian Universities Accord sought parity of participation for groups such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and people from low socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds, by 2050.

Widening participation in higher education relies on multiple policy reforms, including greater financial support and more effective outreach. However, university expansion also relies on school reform. While resourcing inequities between private and public schools have been well-documented, the practices of streaming, or tracking, students within schools have received less attention.

Drawing on recent analysis of state and territory government data, I will highlight the extent of streaming within secondary schools, and the way that such streaming inhibits attempts to widen university participation. In some states, around half of senior secondary students are streamed into vocational pathways, and very few of those students subsequently transition directly to higher education. Students over-represented within vocational streams typically include low SES, Indigenous, Māori and Pasifika students, as well as those in out-of-home care.

The high proportion of marginalised secondary students in vocational streams requires new university approaches to outreach and engagement. The session will highlight how universities can develop new pathways, dual enrolment offerings, and place-based approaches to increase the participation of marginalised students. I will also address the broader policy implications of the 2025 election result for widening participation.