Published on The Australian, 8 November 2016

Universities are spending millions of dollars a year on programs to enrol more young people from low socio-economic backgrounds, but new research shows parents also must be engaged as they can sway decisions about further study.

The study by academics at Murdoch University found parents have a unique influence on young people’s attitudes to university, particularly among those from low SES backgrounds, who are still almost half as likely to ­attend university as their wealthier counterparts.

The researchers surveyed 548 high school students from 12 schools in the southwest corridor of Perth, an area with half the ­degree attainment of the rest of the city.
One-third of the students are the first in their family to attend university.

The study found low SES ­students who had more frequent conversations about university with their parents reported higher aspirations and expectations for university study.

Further, the link between discussions with parents and aspir­ations to attend university was stronger for students from lower SES schools.

The researchers said universities should develop outreach strategies that targeted parents in ways similar to those now offered to students, with the aim of ­normalising parents’ attitudes and beliefs about university education.

With ongoing cuts to the Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program that funds many enabling programs, the study noted universities would be forced to find ways to improve ­educational attainment without the benefit of additional financial support.

Stuart Watson, study lead ­author and research manager on Murdoch’s Aspirations and Pathways for University (MAP4U) program said it was known that if parents had not been to university, they were less likely to discuss it with their children.

“That may be out of an anxiety or avoidance, or simply because it’s not a part of their lives,” Dr Watson said.

“A big part of a child’s life is at home. If universities are just focusing on engaging the young person, then this probably won’t be as ­effective as if they are also addressing the parents.”

The study found parents ­needed “accurate and detailed information about pathways and protocols surrounding university attendance” and could be helped by resources including career counselling, parent-school-­university partnerships and ­workshops.

Andrew Taggart, provost of Murdoch, said over the past four years the MAP4U program had shown many students in low SES schools had aspirations to go to university but needed interventions at school, at home and in the ­community.

“Students in low SES and regional areas need multiple touch points during their high school journey,” he said. Supportive home contexts that talk about going to university were essential, as were supports such as tutoring to facilitate academic attainment, he said.

Shelley Hill, president of the Australian Parents Council, said many parents seemingly did not connect with the language used in university marketing, particularly around talking to their children about the long-term benefits of a university qualification.

“I also think that choosing ­subjects in Years 9 and 10 which provide students with the option to pursue a tertiary pathway is really important, and sometimes parents don’t understand the importance of that conversation with their children.

“So universities providing easy-to-understand information at this point in a child’s schooling would be really useful,” she said.

Victoria University’s dean of students, Susan Young, said including parents in discussions about university was an essential part of their engagement with ­potential students.

“This is particularly so for us, as many of our students come from families without a strong history of university participation.

“It is often the first time the ­parents have been to a university campus,” she said.