An interesting article about how the British government wants to force the English Universities to admit more state schools students, ethnic minorities, disabled people, etc.
Institutions will draw up access agreements with the Office for Fair Access (Offa), which will set out specific goals for each university. Thirteen of the 16 English Russell Group universities are below existing benchmarks for state school access. The sharpest disparity is at Oxford, where nearly 47% of the intake are privately educated.
Universities will also be subject to more regular scrutiny, with the access agreements reviewed annually rather than every five years as at present.
Ministers reserve the right to specify how much of a university's additional income from charging higher fees should be directed towards activities that widen access, such as summer schools for poorer teenagers. Offa will be responsible for ensuring that universities make "real and measurable progress" towards their goals. No university has been sanctioned for failing to make progress under the current regime, set up in 2004.
The existing guidance sets a high bar, saying that universities must be in "wilful and serious breach" of their access agreements before they face penalties.
Universities charging over £6,000 will be required to take part in the national scholarship programme. The government will lay out a menu of options universities could offer poorer students.
If you want yo read more, click here:
The Guardian
Block on higher fees if universities miss state school access targets
Government to demand better mix of students as 13 of 16 top institutions fall short of benchmark
Universities in England could be forced to direct more of their income towards widening access if they fail to meet new targets for admitting state school pupils.Government guidance will demand that universities improve their performance in attracting a wider mix of students, including ethnic minorities, people with disabilities and teenagers from areas with no tradition of going on to higher education.
Universities will be free to choose how best to increase their diversity, such as making lower offers to students from state schools. But they face being stripped of their right to charge higher fees if they fail to hit targets.Institutions will draw up access agreements with the Office for Fair Access (Offa), which will set out specific goals for each university. Thirteen of the 16 English Russell Group universities are below existing benchmarks for state school access. The sharpest disparity is at Oxford, where nearly 47% of the intake are privately educated.
Universities will also be subject to more regular scrutiny, with the access agreements reviewed annually rather than every five years as at present.
Ministers reserve the right to specify how much of a university's additional income from charging higher fees should be directed towards activities that widen access, such as summer schools for poorer teenagers. Offa will be responsible for ensuring that universities make "real and measurable progress" towards their goals. No university has been sanctioned for failing to make progress under the current regime, set up in 2004.
The existing guidance sets a high bar, saying that universities must be in "wilful and serious breach" of their access agreements before they face penalties.
Universities charging over £6,000 will be required to take part in the national scholarship programme. The government will lay out a menu of options universities could offer poorer students.
If you want yo read more, click here:
The Guardian
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