1 Opening up Higher Education for New Target Groups: The Situation of University Lifelong Learning in Germany in a Comparative European Perspective Andrä Wolter Paper presented at the SRHE seminar: „Pushing at the Academy Doors: International Developments in HE-based Lifelong Learning“ SRHE, London, 19 June 2014

Contents (1)Introduction: The new policy interest in opening up higher education (2)What are lifelong learners in higher education? (3)Non-traditional students in German higher education (4)Continuing higher education in Germany (5)The European perspective: The Eurostudent-project (6)Non-traditional routes in Europe (7)Part-time studies (8)Conclusion

3 The new policy interest in opening up HE (1) In the past, only a marginal topic on the higher education policy agenda in Germany (2)Reasons:  widespread perception of a massive student overload  LLL as a responsibility of the continuing education system independent from higher education  hierarchy of missions of higher education: from research to LLL  construction of an antagonism between academic excellence and opening universities (3) Situation has changed a bit since ~

4 Driving forces behind the new interest in widening participation (1)Expected demographic change → concern about a massive decline in the number of students → mobilizing new target groups as a compensatory strategy (2)Increasing need for a highly qualified workforce and the growing concern about a shortage of qualified labour force (3)European stimuli: - lifelong learning as a part of the Bologna process - permeability between vocational and higher education (Copenhagen process and EQF) (4)Strategies of institutional profiling and diversification (5)The diversity discourse concerning the composition of the student body 4

5 Lifelong Learners in Higher Education: Different Types (1) Second chance learners: Second and third educational route in Germany (study entitlement after VET) (2) Equity groups: under-represented groups (first generation) (3) Deferrers: break between leaving school (with study entitlement) and enrollment (4) Recurrent learners: returning to university for a second degree (5) Returners: drop-out and drop-in (6) Refreshers: refreshing skills and knowledge by continuing education at university level (7)Learners in later life Based on a comparative study including 14 countries (Schuetze/Slowey 2012)

6 Focus on two groups of lifelong learners (1)Often LLL identified with continuing education → extended understanding of LLL including the complete life-course (2)Initial higher education: Non-traditional students (so called third educational route) as a sub-group of second chance learners (3)Continuing higher education: refreshers (4)Many new initiatives, programs and measures in the last years to open up higher education 6

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8 Regulations in Germany (1)NTS: Focus on (4) access and admission, together with (3) life-course (2)Four admission models: - admission exam/aptitude test - conditional admission/trial studies - admission after interview/consultation but without test - automatic granting of admission for owners of further education degrees (3)Different regulations in the 16 German states 8

Proportion of non-traditional first-year students (%), 2000 – 2012 Source: Statistisches Bundesamt, Hochschulstatistik 9

10 German first-year students at universities and colleges (ISCED 5A) in winter semester 2010/11 by type of entitlement to study (in %) Source: Bildungsbericht

11 Reasons for the small proportion of non-traditional students in Germany (1)Lack of transparency and information concerning admission prerequisites and procedures (2)Resistance or disapproval by the universities (argument of individual deficits in the study proficiency) (3)Lack of flexibility in the organization of studies and the delivery modes (4)Lack of flexible admission procedures (including recognition of prior learning) 11

12 Continuing higher education in Germany Can be institutionalized at different levels:  as a degree program (mostly MA courses)  as a non-degree program (but with a certificate)  as a kind of liberal education: public understanding of humanities and sciences (PUSH)  in-house provision in companies  in outsourced institutions ► Paradigm shift in the mission of university continuing education: from purposeless academic education for a non- academic/academic public to a market and resources oriented strategy of educational management

Share of higher education institutions in the total continuing education provisions in Germany (source: AES) 13

14 Non-traditional students: different international approaches (1)Age (e.g. older than 25) (2)Participation: groups underrepresented in higher education (3)Life-course: winding biographical paths to higher education, often with a vocational background (4)Access and admission: alternative often non- school routes to higher education (5)Modes of studying: e.g. part-time, distance, parallel to work 14

15 Framework scheme for the different routes into higher education Source: EUROSTUDENT IV

16 Students entering higher education through an alternative route Source: EUROSTUDENT IV

17 Share of students studying part-time Source: UOE, own calculations

18 Conclusions ► Germany as a „delayed“ nation with respect to the implementation of LLL structures in HE ► Many differences between countries: in some countries a larger proportion of LLL students, in others not ► Myth of a contrast between opening the university and academic excellence ► Opening universities for lifelong learning does not mean opening up for everyone or renunciation of requirements and standards ► Opening up for lifelong learners adresses highly qualified groups ► No arbitrariness („anything goes“) in university lifelong learning

19 Thank you very much for your attention! berlin.de