Title of Article TOWARDS A MORE INCLUSIVE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM

IN THE UK (1998/99 TO 2007/08): STUDENTS WITH AND

WITHOUT DISABILITIES

Name of the Journal Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education

Issue 2

Volume 2

Page Numberr 64 - 76

Year Published 2010

Submitted to: Dr. Johan Eddy Luaran

Submitted by: Nor Zakiah Bt Ismail

1. Overview

This journal discussed on the implementation of Government Higher Education policy in

promoting the higher education system in the UK to be more inclusive and to ensure

those who have been under-represented in higher education including young people from

semi-skilled or unskilled family backgrounds and from disadvantaged localities, and

people with disabilities to have opportunities to study in higher education institutions

(HEIs) and have better employment in the future (Pumfrey, 2010 & Department for

Education and Employment, 1998). It is understood that over the year, there are increased

in number; the students with disabilities and without disabilities in the HEIs. This journal

highlighted on the correlation between HE policy and its implications in practice in

relation to group of with and without disabilities.

ways and needs to make higher education (HE) more inclusive in line with

the purpose of setting HE policies by the Government in UK so that those who have been

under-represented in higher education including young people from semi-skilled or

unskilled family backgrounds and from disadvantaged localities, and people with

disabilities to have opportunities to study in higher education institutions (HEIs) and have

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better employment in the future (Pumfrey, 2010 & Department for Education and

Employment, 1998). It is understood that over the year, there are increased in number;

the students with disabilities and without disabilities in the HEIs. This journal highlighted

on the correlation between HE policy and its implications in practice in relation to group

of with and without disabilities.

Based on the information stated in this journal, it focuses on changes over

the ten years period between 1998/9 and 2007/8 in the numbers included and the

relative academic standards of male and female students with and without

disabilities who successfully complete a first degree in UK higher education

institutions HEIs. According to Government Equalities Office (2010), the disability

group being isolated due to the modifiable and environmental obstacles instead of

from disability and it is important to have equality of opportunity for this disability

group. However, it is difficult to achieve the equality of opportunity because of vast

differences between resources and in order to fulfill their different potentials, third

party need to be involved.

Part of this journal also includes the disability and course competence standards.

The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), 1995 states that people are categorized as

disabled whenever they have mental or physical deterioration and that deterioration

affects their daily normal life which remain for long period of time. Skill (2009), said that

as stated in the Disability Discrimination Act, competence standard means an academic,

medical or other standard applied by or on behalf of the educational provider for the

purposes of determining the certain capability level of a person. It has become HEIs

responsibility to ensure that students with disabilities succeed to achieve the threshold of

the courses provided. The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) was established by the

Disability Rights Commission Act 1999 with the purpose to protect these disability

groups from being isolated and ensure they get their privilege in education. There are two

keys UK Government HE objectives set by the government in 1998 and aims to be

reached by 2010 as stated in the present paper which is to present analyses of descriptive

population data: 1) Increasing the Higher Education Initial Participation Rate (HEIPR) of

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students with and without disabilities (50% of 18-30 year-olds experience HE by 2010;

and 2) Maintaining HE academic standards of students with and without disabilities.

There is another context of inclusive higher education being explained in this

journal; the national context. Skill (2009), addressed on the changes in employment in

which depend on the academic status of the individuals whether or not they have the

degree level qualification. As stated in the Labour Force Survey (Office for National

Statistics, 2005) over one-third was categorized as disabled. Since discrimination on the

disability groups matters to the government HE, all the parties who are involved in the

HEIs must hold the responsibility or specific duties towards these disability groups.

Referring to Discrimination Right Commission (2007), it had provided guidance on the

legally defined professional responsibilities of HEIs providers in Great Britain and was

later taken over by a new helpline supported by the Commission for Equality and Human

Rights (CEHR), the Learning Skills Network, and also from Skill, the National Bureau

for Students with Disabilities. According to Skill (2007), the HEIs providers have to

provide the information and they must ensure the information provided fully facilitate the

individuals with disability to have opportunity to study in HEIs. Providing the

information about the disability equality schemes and the contact details of the disability

coordinators are the examples of useful information for the students to refer to.

2. Description of Methodology

This present study focuses on few aspects of inclusive higher education. Throughout the

research objectives, this study is looking into what are the changes over time in the

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numbers, percentages and relative academic standards of non-disabled and disabled male

and female students successfully completing a first degree in the UK?; what are the

implications of the findings in light of the previous government’s policy of making HE

more inclusive?; What are professional challenges and how to indicate promising

practices likely to make HE more inclusive?; and what are promising avenues for further

research into the costs and benefits of a more inclusive HE system.

The approach of this study is quantitativequalitative. Based on the data collected,

this study applied the research design of surveycontent analysis and it focuses on the

cohort study based on the existing cohorts’ data. The empirical basis of the present study

is an examination of changes across time in cohort data. Because tThe chosen method

was to present descriptive statistical data based on the populations.here’s no need to

generalize findings from specified samples to the given population, inferential statistics

are irrelevant. Descriptive population statics are used. This study focuses on cohorts of

successful male and female first degree students in UK HEIs with and without

disabilities. Changes between 1998/9 and 2007/8 in the relative numbers and academic

achievements of the groups involved are examined and discussed. This is a continuation

of ongoing research based on data from 1998/99 to 2004/05 involving 1,502, 658

students who had successfully completed their first degrees (Pumfrey, 2008). By 2007/8,

the cumulative database of ten cohorts of students successfully completed first degrees

has risen to 2,588,792.

There are four variables used in this study; cohort, gender, disability and degree

classification. These variables are represented by categorical data. As stated in the table

there are two cohorts; cohort 1(1998/99) and cohort 10 (2007/08), plus sum of cohort 1 to

10. tThe UK first degree classifications are: First class honours; Upper second class

honours; Lower second class honours; Third class/Pass; and Unclassified which refers to

degree not subject to a classification such as medical and general degree. In terms of

disabilities, the following classifications are used: dyslexia; blind/partially sighted;

deaf/hearing impaired; wheelchair user/mobility difficulties; personal care support;

mental health difficulties; an unseen disability, e.g. diabetes, epilepsy, asthma; multiple

disabilities; and finally any other disability not listed. It should be noted that in 2003/04,

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‘autism’ was added to the list and in 2007/08, ‘dyslexia’ was replaced by a more

inclusive new category of: ‘specific learning difficulties, e.g. dyslexia’.

3. Evaluation

Based on my reading, the author does not address clearly the significance of the

research questions. The reader has to review on the research objectives to look for the

main issue discussed in this study. The methods of data collection and analysis are

appropriate for the research questions as they make the study to have clear information to

fulfill the objectives of the study. The data of changes occur in number and percentage of

males and females students with and without abilities who successfully complete a first

degree in the UK HEs over the ten years period help this study to relate with the

Government HE policies implementation to see how far the policies gives impact on the

total number of students who successfully complete the first degree in UK HEs. The

study’s conclusion is not clearly stated in this study.

Less data presented to explain more on the another two research questions (based

on research objectives); What are professional challenges and how to indicate promising

practices likely to make HE more inclusive?; and what are promising avenues for further

research into the costs and benefits of a more inclusive HE system. This study will be

stronger in validity if the author includes the types of assessment conducted for all the

categories of the disability and the result will be precise. Throughout the assessments, we

know the weaknesses of both group male and female with or without disability and come

out with the appropriate methods of teaching by the HEIs provider in helping the students

to successfully complete the first degree in UK HEIs.

4. Discussion of Implication

Based on this study, inclusive education is a wise idea to be applied in the

education. In order to ensure everyone get equal opportunity in education, inclusive

education must be practiced in all the levels of education (primary, secondary and tertiary

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level). The discrimination towards the disability group must be avoided in order to bring

more inclusive higher education system. Every student matters (Pumfrey,2010).

Booth (2003) said that inclusive classroom is the situation where a person is being

accepted for who he is by the people surrounding him or her. Educators must provide the

equal facility to all the students based on their needs. Thus, the government must come

out with the policies which will force the Education provider to move towards the

inclusive education.

As being stated by UNESCO (1994), the policy on the budget priority must be

strongly addressed as to improve education services so that children with poverty and

disability will have chances to study in school or Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).

The implication that we want to see is more than the amount of fund spent for the

inclusive education (Pumfrey, 2010). In Malaysia itself, we are also intend to move the

education into inclusive. As being stated in Higher Education Action Plan (2007),

education for all. It reflects to this study which is to ensure all males and females with or

without disabilities will have the opportunity to have education. Research on the

inclusive education will be a source for the educators to see the different context and

concept of inclusive education and indirectly it will help the Government (Ministry of

Education) as well as educators to come out with a lot more policy to make education as

part of people’s life.

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