Higher Education is one of the most important areas in recent public policies. Reason for it we can find in the fact that contemporary welfare states are in crisis. This crisis is caused by demographical and economical changes, aging of population, longer live expectancy and structural changes.
Following that changes, contemporary and future society puts focus on new generation of people: high educated and with different skills and abilities to adapt to the flexible market economy. For that reason, educational policy needs to be improved and educational practices should help young people to enter, stay and finish their study.
Find social dimension of the education as an integral part of educational process. In that context, social dimension is recently one of the very important issues in education policy and in scientific area, we find definition that social dimension is “making quality higher education equally accessible to all, and stress the need for appropriate conditions for students so that they can complete their studies without obstacles related to their social and economic background.
The social dimension includes measures taken by governments to help students, especially from disadvantaged groups, in financial and economic aspects and to provide them with guidance and counselling services with a view to widening access. There should be more equal opportunity (especially for all students to successfully enter, carry out and complete their studies); reinforcing the social, cultural and economic development of our societies and enhances the quality and attractiveness of State Higher Education.
Thereby, social dimension means affirmation of equally accession of higher education to all, appropriate studying and living conditions, government’s measures to provide students with guidance and counselling services, students participation in Higher Education governance and government measures to help students, especially from socially disadvantaged groups in financial and economic aspects.
So defined social dimension leads us to the student’s social welfare. It is a term that is not clearly defined and is not in regular use. We can find some students welfare offices, There is definition that student social welfare includes everything the (school) community does to meet the personal, social and learning needs of students and enhance the well-being; creates a safe, caring school environment in which students are nurtured as they learn, provides opportunities for students to enjoy success and recognition. So it becomes a place where students can learn and grow with confidence, what brings them to better success.
The need for students well-being is also present in educational policy and some surveys and it is connected with better academic success.
Student’s well-being is more used term in educational practice and usually means support from academic stuff and environment, but also is not clear in definition what factors should be included in well-being and mostly exclude policy actions that can help students. In that context, we can find student welfare as a broader term.
In conclusion, we can find that there is no clear meaning of social dimension of education, student’s well-being or student’s welfare. What is clear, is the recognition of need to improve student’s well-being, social dimension of education and commonly, social welfare as a broader term. Recent description leads us to find what should be done, from different actors to reach that goal.
Although social dimension of education is very important, some, but not too many studies are focusing on social dimension and student’s well-being. We will present some of findings or methods that we find useful for our survey.
One study focused on social dimension.(Peer learning for the social dimension)
Composed By: Oluwadare Seyi
NANS JCC ONDO AXIS WELFARE DIRECTOR 2017 ASPIRANT
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