In the Australian today was this piece

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/women-exceed-bradley-target/story-e6frgcjx-1226210429427

It said:

"AUSTRALIA is now just five percentage points short of the higher education attainment target with 14 years to make up the difference, according to new Australian Bureau of Statistics figures. The proportion of 25-34 year olds with higher education qualifications reached 35 per cent this year, a full percentage point higher than the 34 per cent recorded last year."

which is excellent news, isn't it?

It's excellent news if you're a young woman, because:

"[higher education researcher Alan Olsen] noted that women had now exceeded the Bradley target, with the proportion of degree-educated 25-34 year-old females rising from 37.7 to 40.3 per cent this year."

not so great for young men

"For males, the figure is still just below 30 per cent after rising half a percentage point this year."

Some here might recall that I pointed this out some time ago, to general derision, IIRC.

I was prompted by the story to have a look for Alan Olsen's publications and I came across this

http://www.spre.com.au/download/SPREGenderAgenda.pdf

It is a comprehensive review of the state of gender play in Australian universities and it is quite disturbing.

He says:
"Gender is a key factor in outcomes of higher education in Australia."

"[...]Discounting 320,970 international students, of 813,896 Australian students in higher education in 2009, 472,229, 58.0%, were women."

He goes on to show that in all aspects of higher ed in Australia, the biggest single predictor of whether an individual will firstly be able to participate and secondly, do well, is their gender.

"The proportion of 25-34 year olds reporting at least an undergraduate degree (undergraduate degree or postgraduate diploma or postgraduate degree) has increased from 19.3% in 1998 to 29.2% in 2005 and 2006, to 34.6% in 2009 and 34.2% in 2010, against the Gillard target 40%.

Again the gender agenda is in play. Since 2007 ABS has collected data by gender, and the 2010 figure 34.2% was the aggregate of 38.5% of young women and 29.9% of young men,"

So what are we going to do about it?

lets presume woman are smarter...ignore if true or not

so if they become mum..
and stay at home as a single mother[ie chose to live in hell]..or become a working woman...working mainly to pay child minding fees]

ok i lost my thought
but heck im only a man

but this hex thingy
that only kicks in later right
when their wages go up]...

how much gets repaid..
or what the course 'nursibng?'..tyeaching?

or is older woman trying to catch up
im always suss on numbers..they can be spun
anyway the spinner choses to spin it..

heck lets let the woman explain

it is what it is
you dont got the education requirments
well so be it

education should be a fre gift to the clever
the dumb should be put to work asp

the min ute we know they are destined
to become useless eaters..or their genes are transgenerationally injurous to their family lines

i feel dont just jail dad
jail the whole family

relocate them..[as a family unit
to be like king..in some poor cuntry...who knows their full detail and weakness..but in who their limite experteaze in english makes them a valuable community asset...

[the whole family wins a free trip..
and gets a scllarship managed suppliment
according as they get the respect...as earned as they are due]

sorry about the lateral thought
just all them young girls
i need to get educated

really

Just what we need more pen pushers, Put more emphasis on youth going into trades at 16 years of age would be more useful. We need people that can use their hands, and wear boots, not more office dudes.

Do we have to do anything about it? Why?

The fact is access to these opportunities are equal, much dependent on family expectations, pressures, personal wishes/abilities and finances. There is not much more to be done, let people make up their own minds.

It is the same stuff touted out by certain groups pushing more female CEOs and Board participation, but fact is too many people look at the figures without asking why? There are many social and other factors that might mean more men/women enter and participate in different fields.

I recently witnessed similar discussion on ABC's Big Ideas about access to women in these higher level roles but not one commentator (all smart women) offerred that the lower figure of female participants might better be explained by personal choices than by grand design and statistically you will get less women on boards if less women are applying (overall). A better figure would be gained by comparing success of female applicants with total number of female applicants than judging by total figures alone.

Does it really matter at the end of the day if in each sphere of life there is not 50/50 participation?

Surely it cannot ever be thus, what about pushing for more blondes on Boards. I reckon there is not enough.

What about people with disabilities who face much more discrimination or impediment to finding work than other folk.

I don't mean to rain on your parade Anti, but if you were a female poster pushing the CEO or Board participation agenda or why there aren't more women in engineering, my response would be the same.

Dear Pelly,

I wonder how many women are there in governing positions
on University Boards as compared to men? Just a thought.

A good point Lexi and Pelican.
Let's look at how many women there are in Government positions, or in corporate board rooms.
Let's make a song and dance about dragging all these percentages up to a more equal level. Why not?

For goodness sake Antiseptic, males have been the winners through higher education levels for hundreds of years in our history, with females considered only worthy of teaching home duties in very recent times.

Now that there is a more level playing field of opportunities in our education system, you are upset because maybe 10% more academics are female now?

Aren't you happy that there are the same higher educational opportunities out there for your daughter as your son?

If more females are successful at taking up these opportunities at the moment, then maybe the males need to lift their game?