Pechar & Anders: Higher Education Policies

Pechar and Andres investigated and found that there is a convincing relationship between higher education and welfare regimes.  In order to do a meaningful comparative analysis, the authors had to understand the trade-offs each country is faced with.  The US, for example, used education often as a trade-off since it is under discretionary spending instead of mandated funding.

The three types are:

-Liberal welfare regimes (Canada, US, UK)-- low degree decommodification and strong role in markets

• high tuition fees

-Conservative welfare regimes (Austria, France, Italy)-- preserving social structures and hierarchies and the traditional family

• low/no tuition fees

-Social democratic (universal) welfare regimes--equal access to benefits and services of high standards

• no tuition fees

With welfare regimes and education, it is a system of give and take-- what each country prioritizes more.  pg 25--Countries that adhere to liberal welfare don't est equitable living conditions but they spend more money on higher education than other regimes.  Doesn't these seem a little counter-intuitive?

Conservative regimes provide better conditions for those who will not attain a degree-- great opportunity for vocational degrees.   However, I did not appreciate that implication that those who get vocational degrees are necessarily low achievers.

OECD-- Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development