Access constraints experienced by physically disabled students at a South African higher education institution

Abstract

Current developments in government law and policies have created the hope that people living with a disability will enjoy the same rights and privileges as the non-disabled. Unfortunately, only 2.8% of disabled persons have access to higher education. The aim of this study was to determine if a group of students, living with a physical disability, experienced constraints with regard to access to a South African higher education institution. This study, following a two-phase sequential mixed method approach, consisted of a questionnaire survey, a focus group discussion, and individual interviews. It was found that students living with a physical disability experienced constraints relating to the accessibility of the relevant higher education institution. Since access constraints affect the lives of students living with a disability, it is necessary to provide guidelines to universities on how to address these challenges.     

Does Educational Preparation Match Professional Practice: The Case of Higher Education Policy Analysts

This study compares the extent to which higher education policy analysts and master’s and doctoral faculty of higher education and public affairs programs match on a set of competencies thought to be important to higher education policy analysis. Analysts matched master’s faculty in three competencies while analysts and doctoral faculty matched in five competencies. The findings suggest possible reasons why analysts and graduate faculty agree or differ on various competencies. Also, the findings raise important questions regarding the preparation of higher education policy analysts and the graduate programs that educate them. This study is an addition to the body of competency literature. Eduardo C. Arellano  obtained a B.A. in Political Science and an M.P.A from the University of Texas at El Paso, and he holds the Ph.D. in Educational Administration from New Mexico State University. He is an assistant professor at New Mexico State University in the Department of Educational Management and Development. His special interests are interactional diversity, competency, and US–Mexico border studies. Mario C. Martinez  has a B.A. in Electrical Engineering from New Mexico State University, an M.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Leadership from Arizona State University. He is an associate professor at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas in the department of Educational Leadership. His special interests are higher education policy, governance, finance, competency modeling, and strategy.     

From Christian Gentleman to Bewildered Seeker: The Transformation of American Higher Education

In this carefully documented essay, Russell K. Nieli outlines the major transformation in American higher education that began at the end of the nineteenth century. Today’s research- and vocation-driven private universities began as Christian institutions founded by zealous evangelizers, while public colleges embraced a watered-down version of the earnest and forward-thinking Protestant gentleman’s worldview, which saw no conflict between theological and secular knowledge. Science and religion remained friendly until the advent of the industrial revolution brought the model of the German research university to the attention of American academic reformers. Unity of knowledge was eventually supplanted by a secular, elective system. While the great “multiversity” had arrived, critics mourned the loss of educational coherence and abandonment of the civilizing mission to which moral and classical training were essential. In the 1920’s, the Great Books approach was reborn, despite the seemingly unstoppable march of progress, science, and the subdiscipline. Vietnam-era upheavals led to the American academy’s transformation into a politically correct mutlicultural smorgasboard seasoned to please the modern student palate. When today’s students demand to be entertained and scholars continue to narrowly train, is there still room on the plate for the best that has been said, thought, and written about the human experience?

俄罗斯高校评估政策运行的制度因素分析

本文主要运用制度分析理论剖析影响俄罗斯高校评估政策运行的制度因素,即:社会政治经济体制转轨为评估政策的生成提供了制度环境,国家强制执行为评估政策的制订提供了制度变迁的路径,对政策实施机构与高校的监控是评估政策实施的制度保障,有效的制度安排是完善评估政策过程的途径,市场、政府与高校的良性互动是完善评估政策的关键。     

政策转型：高等教育改革研究的一个视角

本文以20世纪80年代以来中国政府颁布的三个重要政策文件为样本,对30年来中国高等教育改革的内在因素进行了分析,提出了研究中国高等教育的一种新视角,并对中国高等教育改革的未来走向进行了预测。     

北京高等教育中的残疾学生——北京13所高等学校残疾学生现状调查

作者通过对北京地区13所高等学校中的残疾学生、部分健全学生和教师进行问卷调查,归纳提炼出目前残疾人高等教育的特点、问题及应改进的建议,具有一定的创新意义。本文探讨的全纳式高等教育模式对残疾大学生的培养和我国高等教育的和谐与全面发展也具有重要的意义。     

从补充教育走向选择教育:我国民办高校发展的必然选择

补充教育是民办高校在国家主导型高等教育系统处于精英教育阶段时的一种必然现象。国际经验表明,随着高等教育从精英教育阶段走向大众化阶段乃至普及化阶段时,国家主导型高等教育系统中的民办高校或早或迟都会从补充教育走向选择教育。这种转变既需要民办高校外部环境的支持,也需要民办高校办学者抓住恰当的时机,做出战略性调整。从补充教育走向选择教育是我国民办高校发展战略的必然选择,也是其实现可持续发展的关键。     

我国民办高等教育发展的政策分析

由于国家在推动民办高等教育发展过程中扮演着重要的角色,因此民办高等教育的发展依附于国家的相关政策的制定与执行过程。文章通过对民办高等教育发展阶段中相关政策的梳理与分析,提出了民办高等教育政策调整的建议：首先,政府应转换职能,从管理者身份转换到服务者身份;其次,构建民办高等教育具体、细致、完整的政策体系,引导民办高等教育向多层次、多类别、多样化的方向发展;最后,保持政策的连续性和稳定性。     

论教育政策对高等教育的影响

建国以来,高等教育政策是一种单向度的政府选择模式,表现出国家中心和行政机关中心的特征。改革开放以后,我国的高等教育一度走上了市场化取向之路,但是这条路走得并不是很顺畅。社会主义市场经济环境下高等教育政策改革的方向是提高高等教育在市场化生存环境中的效率,并有利于市场经济改革和政治稳定。     

The Experiences of Students with Mobility Disabilities in Cypriot Higher Education Institutions: Listening to their voices

This article explores the experiences of students with mobility disabilities in Cypriot higher education institutions. In order to obtain relevant information, in‐depth semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 10 Cypriot students with different forms of mobility disabilities, who attended different Cypriot higher education institutions and a variety of courses. This study yielded interesting results in terms of provision (e.g., accommodation for examinations and assignments, note‐taking services, tutorials, counselling services) as well as lecturers’ and students’ attitudes towards disability, raising interesting issues of social inclusion and rights. The quality of their experiences was affected by physical access, provision availability, positive responses by fellow students without disabilities, and the level of awareness among the members of the academic staff or the rest of the staff (e.g., cleaners, administrative officers, and accommodation staff). The findings of this study have implications at an institutional level for rethinking and refining policy and practice on disability.     

师范生免费政策回归有益于教育和谐发展

师范教育是教育和谐发展的基石.师范生免费教育政策的回归,是理性的选择.它的实施将有利于教育的和谐发展,有益于社会的和谐与进步.     

改革开放以来(1978—2006)中国民办高等教育政策法规回顾与思考

本文在梳理改革开放以来民办高等教育政策法规历史演变的基础上,归纳了民办高等教育政策法规的主要特征及存在的问题与不足。     

以终身教育的视野探讨普通高校成人高等教育的延伸

终身教育是传统教育观念和理论的一次更新,终身教育突破了一次教育定终身的思想。终身教育不等于成人教育,但是,无论从学习内容还是形式,成人教育都是终身教育形成和发展的基础,也是终身教育在当前社会实践中的最好体现。终身教育体系的构建,将极大地推动成人教育的改革与发展。本文就普通高校成人教育根据终身教育所涵盖的思想内容、体现的时代特征、欲实现的教育目标、发展教育的原则要求等方面,就发展成人教育进行分析,探讨普通高校成人教育向终身教育延伸的有效途径,进而实现普通高校成人教育的可持续发展和终身教育体系的形成。     

教学型高校：中国实现高等教育大众化的主力军

随着高等教育大众化的到来，我国高等教育加快了发展步伐。但在实现大众化的进程中，研究型大学急剧扩张，教学型大学想有所为实难为。作认为，教学型高校实现高等教育大众化的主力军，应加快我国高等教育改革步伐，努力使教学型高校担当起大众化重任，使我国高等教育事业健康发展。     

东盟高等教育政策:价值目标、局限与趋势

第14届东盟首脑峰会宣布启动第二轮《东盟一体化行动工作计划》,同时公布和实施《东盟社会—文化共同体蓝图》,其中高等教育以建立知识型社会和具有技术竞争力的东盟为战略目标。多个文献表明,东盟在有意识地引导东盟高等教育朝向学术共同体和东盟方式高等教育一体化发展。然而,有着不同高等教育体制的东盟10国,发展水平参差不齐,在未来发展道路上将面临各种问题和挑战。     

高职高专英语教学改革的实践与前景

突飞猛进的社会发展向高职高专英语教学发出了挑战,为了适应新形势的要求,提出新的教学目标,培养学生英语应用能力.当务之急是进行英语教学改革,在此基础上本文探讨了英语教学改革的实践,以及在教学改革中需要处理好的几个关系.     

澳大利亚高等教育改革政策的发展趋势

进入21世纪后，澳大利亚掀起了一轮全新的高等教育改革浪潮。在高等教育必须为国家经济发展提供动力的理念下，政府动员全社会的力量参与到改革的讨论中，并制定出了一系列的改革措施。它们将引导澳大利亚高等教育走向新的发展道路，从而为国家的发展提供动力。     

大众化背景下的高等教育公平政策之分析

我国大众化发展中的高等教育公平政策是指那些对弱势群体起到保护和补偿的政策、法律和规章或者相关的条款。从实践来看,高等教育的主要弱势群体是少数民族、女性、贫困大学生和农民。虽然高等教育公平在大众化中不断得到改善,但是高等教育不公平还继续存在。所以,我国大众化高等教育公平政策的发展只能在两难处境中尽力而为,逐步加以完善。     

后疫情时代阿拉伯国家高等教育国际化的政策走向

新冠疫情的暴发与蔓延,在阿拉伯世界催生了新的高等教育需求,并且导致阿拉伯国家通过提升人力资源带动经济结构调整、通过提升软实力拓展地缘政治影响的需求变得空前迫切。在此背景下,尽管疫情给跨国人员交流带来巨大的阻碍,阿拉伯各国并未放慢高等教育的国际化进程,而是通过调整留学生政策、促进合作办学与联合科研、改革教育体系等方式,加大力度推动本地教育的对外开放。不过,该地区高等教育的发展尚面临办学质量难以提升、教育结构失衡加剧、本地保护主义抬头等难题,致使该地区利用疫情契机提升本地高等教育国际竞争力的道路依然充满挑战。     

Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in South African Higher Education

Globally, few students with disabilities progress to higher education. This is mostly due to avoidable barriers they face as they navigate different educational structures from lower levels. Even for those few students who make it to higher education, they continue to face challenges. A qualitative study was carried out at the University of the Free State and the University of Venda. Fourteen students with disabilities took part in this research that was aimed at exploring their academic and life experiences. This article interrogates the inclusion of students with disabilities at two South African universities. This article is timely as South Africa has initiated the development of a national policy framework on disability in the post-school education and training systems. It highlights some of the areas where inclusive policies should pay attention in an effort to fully cater for the needs of students with disabilities.