Page 14 - RUICHSS 2023 Proceeding

University of Ruhuna ISSN: 2706-0063
Matara, Sri Lanka

disabilities from the social community and, consequently, from the (higher)

educational system.

Higher education plays a crucial role in developing the skills, competencies, and
knowledge essential for thriving in our society. However, certain educational

structures and policies inadvertently contribute to the exclusion of socially
disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, resulting in low participation rates in higher

education (European Commission, European Education and Culture Executive
Agency, 2022).

The underrepresentation of specific social groups, even if unintentional, poses

challenges at both individual and collective levels. For example, young people
from immigrant backgrounds, experiencing limited opportunities to access and
complete higher education, are more susceptible to unemployment or being

confined to low-skilled and low-paid jobs. Consequently, this not only results in
economic precarity but also fosters social marginalisation and alienation

(European Commission, European Education and Culture Executive Agency,
2022).

Exclusion from higher education has far-reaching consequences, impacting not

only personal development and career prospects but also economic productivity
and growth. Therefore, increasing the participation of vulnerable, disadvantaged,
and underrepresented groups in higher education yields broader benefits, such as

reduced welfare provision, improved health outcomes, and increased community
involvement. These combined advantages foster the cohesion of a democratic

society, emphasising recognised values such as social justice, the public good,
public responsibility, and social mobility (European Commission, European
Education and Culture Executive Agency, 2022). It is all these factors mentioned

above that constitute the social dimension of higher education.

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