In class we discussed the idea that higher education options in other countries are more limited than in the US and that private universities (like Bates College!) may not exist at all.
In fact, even public universities abroad often serve a smaller fraction of high school graduates. Large numbers of them may be channeled directly into technical schools where they are compelled to choose a career at age 18. These students are often permanently excluded from university due to an inability to pass rigorous entrance exams or a lack of resources to afford private college.
In order to address this situation and better prepare its workforce for the future, Chilean authorities have begun a collaboration with LaGuardia Community College in order to replicate the CUNY system of "junior colleges". According to a LaGuardia spokesperson quoted in the NY Daily News:
"[The Chileans] were interested in the two-year transferrable degree. It's something that does not exist in Chile. So they decided to start their own and model it on LaGuardia. The problem in Chile, he said, is that students must choose a career right out of high school. Only the top few percent are accepted into the country's low-cost public universities. The rest must attend private schools, which are not affordable for many Chileans. If students switch careers, they lose all their credits."
According to Community College Times, "an emphasis on a two-year transferable associate degree in Chile will be a radical change. Chile’s higher education system currently consists of four- and five-year degree programs for mainly wealthy citizens and a system of technical colleges that train workers for specific industries."
Chilean exchange students have already come to Queens to test out the CUNY community college system. All of their credits earned here will transfer back towards a degree in Chile. In video interviews, several of them commented on the feasibility and need for community colleges in Chile. The Chilean press seems intrigued by the idea of allowing technical school students to pursue more liberal arts coursework while accruing credits towards university.
We in the US community college system often complain about the relative lack of funding and respect that our institutions receive to serve the neediest students. However, it seems clear that we should appreciate the mere existence of such a flexible and completely open-access structure.
John Hunt
NB: hyperlinks highlighted above
As we learned from our readings of the British system, in an otherwise enlightened welfare state(Curtis et al, p 61), access to "Oxbridge" is a reminder of its class system.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly, the French system (p 172) has its share of limited access.
Elite northeastern liberal arts colleges aside, the US has long been known as a place of opportunity for strivers, both the poor and new immigrants. Tonight I was priveleged to be at an honors ceremony & to see the faces and families of these School of Ed grads is a clear reminder of our mission: these people were just so grateful for their opportunity, it just make you want to cry with joy to see it all unfold.
However, the nosedive economy may force California to cut 250,000 seats in its community colleges, a sobering number.
[URL]http://brooklyn.cuny.edu/bc/spotlite/pdf/chron052109.pdf[/URL]
In the meanwhile, kudos to CUNY!