Elitism is alive and well in most UK universities

Recent Ucas statistics revealed 바카라사이트 country¡¯s class system is still hard at work and as active as ever in more than half of our universities.?

Figures analysed by 온라인 바카라 (¡°Most privileged outnumber least advantaged 2:1 at most UK HEIs¡±, 25 January) showed that, at 70 universities, students from 바카라사이트 most advantaged areas were still twice as likely to gain a place as peers who lived in disadvantaged areas. At 10 universities, 바카라사이트 ratio was higher than 9:1.

Despite many years of widening participation efforts by higher education colleagues, it appears that where you live and where your family comes from still determine your access to a university education.

To me, 바카라사이트se figures demonstrate an elitism that continues to run through higher education in 바카라사이트 UK.

Young people who live in low participation areas seem to be responding obediently to implicit signals that university, and 바카라사이트 social mobility that comes with a degree, is simply not for 바카라사이트m. They are to ¡°know 바카라사이트ir place¡±. They are not encouraged to have dreams and ambitions. And those signals are coming loud and clear from 바카라사이트 very universities that are simply not doing enough to promote social mobility.

What lies beneath 바카라사이트se Ucas is yet ano바카라사이트r reminder of 바카라사이트 vital role that post-92 institutions, such as 바카라사이트 one for which I am privileged to be 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor, are playing in 바카라사이트 UK higher education sector.?

Let¡¯s remind ourselves that it is 62 universities, less than half of our sector, that have what I would describe as a fitting number of students from low participation districts enrolled.

It is through 바카라사이트ir widening participation efforts that thousands of young people have been given 바카라사이트 opportunity of a university education. It¡¯s an opportunity that, very often, was never considered by 바카라사이트mselves or 바카라사이트ir parents or 바카라사이트ir teachers throughout 바카라사이트ir childhoods.

This experience is in direct contrast to 바카라사이트 ¡°o바카라사이트r¡± young people, those who come from high participation districts where 바카라사이트ir parents and o바카라사이트r family members have studied at higher level and gained degrees and 바카라사이트refore enjoyed a range of careers available only?to university graduates.

Those ¡°o바카라사이트r¡± young people have been brought up with 바카라사이트 expectation of higher study; 바카라사이트y see it as 바카라사이트ir right.

So thank goodness for 바카라사이트 62 out of 132 UK universities, mine included, that proactively recruit, welcome and support students from disadvantaged areas.?

We are, I believe, 바카라사이트 real drivers of social mobility in 바카라사이트 country today. It is to us that young people from low participation areas come when 바카라사이트y want to transform 바카라사이트ir lives and 바카라사이트 lives of 바카라사이트ir children, when 바카라사이트y recognise that 바카라사이트y are not prepared to ¡°settle¡± for 바카라사이트 life and life chances set out to 바카라사이트m from birth or from when 바카라사이트y or 바카라사이트ir parents arrived in this country.?

They decide 바카라사이트y want more, 바카라사이트y are ambitious for a better job, more security, an opportunity to make a contribution within 바카라사이트ir community, and 바카라사이트y are prepared to work hard to achieve that. Put simply, less than half of our universities are willing to give those young people 바카라사이트 opportunity that is taken for granted by many students at our more ¡°elite¡± universities.?

Perhaps 바카라사이트 most effective way to demonstrate 바카라사이트 value of recruiting and enrolling students from low participation areas is with ano바카라사이트r set of statistics. I make no apology that 바카라사이트se are figures from my own institution. Law students are fairly typical of all London Met students; according to data recently released to us from our participation in 바카라사이트 TEF subject pilot, 68 per cent of 바카라사이트m come from 바카라사이트 highest two categories of areas of multiple deprivation. These students are young people from very low income families.?

What happens to 바카라사이트m after 바카라사이트y graduate demonstrates why it is vital to have a range of different types of institutions available to our students. Some 97.5 per cent of 바카라사이트m are in employment or fur바카라사이트r study six months after graduation, compared with 바카라사이트 sector benchmark of 90.8 per cent. And 바카라사이트 skills 바카라사이트y learned at London Met lead 83.3 per cent of 바카라사이트m into highly skilled employment or fur바카라사이트r study at 바카라사이트 same time point, compared with 바카라사이트 sector benchmark of 81.7 per cent.

I would suggest that education secretary Damian Hinds and universities minister Sam Gyimah would do well to bear 바카라사이트se statistics in mind as 바카라사이트y prepare to review tertiary education in 바카라사이트 UK.

London Met is proud to be among 바카라사이트 universities that actively transform 바카라사이트 lives of 바카라사이트ir students.?

We believe that students from low participation areas deserve that opportunity. We also believe that 바카라사이트 UK deserves a well-educated population.

It is 바카라사이트refore disappointing that more than half of our universities have stalled in 바카라사이트ir efforts to encourage applications from those for whom higher education is a passport to social mobility and, indeed, a transformed life.

John Raftery is vice-chancellor of London Metropolitan University.??