In 2001, it was suggested by the Times Higher Education that a ‘small town mindset’ is a cause of low participation by rural Australian students in university. This essay will argue that a ‘small town mindset’ does influence rural student’s university participation to some degree, however other factors like farming needs, school achievement, and financial requirements also impact their decision to attend university. It will explore what exactly a ‘small town mindset’ is, as well as talking about the reasons rural youth choose to stay at home rather than attend university and whether or not a small town mindset is the main influencer.
Distance is potentially the most obvious factor to deter rural students from attending university, with most …show more content…
Attending university is a very expensive process, especially when you have to live away from home. Paying for university is just one part, however the student or their family also have to spend money on accommodation, food and transport. This can be very hard to afford, particularly when the family comes from a lower socio-economic bracket, or has to pay for farming equipment or the likes. However, even if a student can afford to live away from home to study at university, they may not want to leave their family. Moving into a different area alone can be very difficult, especially when all the student has ever known is rural life, and they’re most likely moving into a metropolitan area. This said, there is a large amount of financial support for rural students who are forced to relocate for their studies, and the number of universities in rural areas is …show more content…
According to William James, differences in school completion rates result in just under half of the inconsistencies in higher education, and just over half is caused by differences that students have in transitioning to university. This discrepancy in school participation can be caused by multiple things, particularly the encouragement (or lack there of) that the students receive from their teachers and parents. The lack of encouragement directed towards the students in conjunction with the fact that the subjects that they are studying may limit their options, causes many students to report that they see higher education as unattainable. In a study run by William James it was found that rural students’ educational disadvantage is the result of two factors: that they are more likely than urban students to experience discouraging barriers, and that they are less likely than urban students to experience encouraging factors.
It has been found in previous studies that geographical location is a less important factor in the election to study at university than school accomplishment, student attributes and the influence of parents and teachers. Many rural students report experiencing disheartening barriers such as cost issues, doubting their abilities to succeed in a university setting, and they may even perceive university degrees
Distance is potentially the most obvious factor to deter rural students from attending university, with most …show more content…
Attending university is a very expensive process, especially when you have to live away from home. Paying for university is just one part, however the student or their family also have to spend money on accommodation, food and transport. This can be very hard to afford, particularly when the family comes from a lower socio-economic bracket, or has to pay for farming equipment or the likes. However, even if a student can afford to live away from home to study at university, they may not want to leave their family. Moving into a different area alone can be very difficult, especially when all the student has ever known is rural life, and they’re most likely moving into a metropolitan area. This said, there is a large amount of financial support for rural students who are forced to relocate for their studies, and the number of universities in rural areas is …show more content…
According to William James, differences in school completion rates result in just under half of the inconsistencies in higher education, and just over half is caused by differences that students have in transitioning to university. This discrepancy in school participation can be caused by multiple things, particularly the encouragement (or lack there of) that the students receive from their teachers and parents. The lack of encouragement directed towards the students in conjunction with the fact that the subjects that they are studying may limit their options, causes many students to report that they see higher education as unattainable. In a study run by William James it was found that rural students’ educational disadvantage is the result of two factors: that they are more likely than urban students to experience discouraging barriers, and that they are less likely than urban students to experience encouraging factors.
It has been found in previous studies that geographical location is a less important factor in the election to study at university than school accomplishment, student attributes and the influence of parents and teachers. Many rural students report experiencing disheartening barriers such as cost issues, doubting their abilities to succeed in a university setting, and they may even perceive university degrees