Social Inclusion in Education

I am delighted to invite you to attend the Inaugural Social Inclusion in Education conference.

Social inclusion is now understood as vital to Australian society in ensuring the participation of all Australians in developing skills and understandings that will enable them to contribute to the nation’s competitiveness in the knowledge economy.

We also know that education is central to the well-being of Australians, as the vehicle through which they are able to contribute to the social and cultural fabric of the nation as well as benefit from all that this has to offer.

The recent Review of Australian Higher Education commented that “Social inclusion must be a core responsibility for all institutions that accept public funding, irrespective of history and circumstances” (Bradley et al. 2008: 33). It is a view that has been endorsed by the Australian Government and emphasised by the Deputy Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, for all institutions in Australia’s education sectors. Social inclusion is now understood as everyone’s business and education as a major site for its achievement.

This conference brings together educators and administrators from all education sectors in order to create partnership opportunities and to identify issues that are central to the social inclusion agenda. It has been specifically designed to be of value to senior managers in higher education, vocational education and training, and schooling as well as relevant officers and managers in state and federal government departments.

The National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education is pleased to be a partner with Informa in making this conference available to the Australian education field. We think it will be important in helping participants to develop a more nuanced understanding of social inclusion, to hear of the good practice that is already occurring in the country, and to form meaningful partnerships with like-minded educators.

I look forward to welcoming you to the conference in Sydney, in October.

Yours sincerely,

Trevor Gale
Director
National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education

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