Access to education is a transatlantic issue
NEW ORLEANS – “Even though the financing of higher education differs largely between Europe and North-America, the underlying issues concerning access remain the same. Students from underrepresented groups face the most difficulties entering tertiary education and lack information and knowledge on where to seek support to attain higher education,” says Taina Moisander, Vice-Chairperson of the European Students’ Union (ESU).
Representatives of the national student associations in the United States of America, Canada and of the ESU met in New Orleans, Louisiana, on 23 and 24 November 2012 to plan the upcoming World Congress of the European Access Network in 2013.
The participants in the forum, organised by the Council for Opportunities in Education, discussed different thematic approaches concerning access to tertiary education and how students can advocate for equal access to it.
“The barriers that are created by primary education together with a person’s family background play a huge role in whether one decides to and can pursue higher education,” Taina comments.
Students and organisations will use the results from these discussions to plan the World Congress where the aim of sharing and shaping policies on tertiary education.
Background on the Council for Opportunities in Education
An organisation working on widening the access of underrepresented groups to tertiary education in the United States. It will collaborate with the European Access Network in organising the World Congress in Montreal in 2013.
For more information, please visit www.coenet.us and www.eanworldcongress.org
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For more information, please contact:
Taina Moisander, ESU Vice-chairperson: +32/479.591.499 // taina@esu-online.org or Robert Hlynur Baldursson, ESU Communications Manager: +32/473.669.894 // robert@esu-online.org
The European Students’ Union, headquartered in Brussels, is the umbrella organisation of 47 national unions of students from 38 European countries. ESU represents and promotes the educational, social, economical and cultural interests of students at the European level. Through its member unions, ESU represents over 11 million students in Europe. To find out more about ESU, follow us on Twitter @ESUtwt, check out or Facebook page or visit www.esu-online.org. ESU celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2012.
