Looking beyond A levels to improve diversity in HE

For many school-leavers, this time of year is?full of?excitement and trepidation. Excitement at 바카라사이트 prospect of starting a new chapter at university, and trepidation?over 바카라사이트 start of a time filled with new challenges and pressures.

But for many people, 바카라사이트 chance to go to university also competes with 바카라사이트 need to?earn an income, support a family, or maintain a livelihood. It¡¯s not 바카라사이트 first image that comes to mind when you think about a university entrant and our higher education system tends to function with much 바카라사이트 same mindset. It favours those who?travel 바카라사이트 traditional route from school and disadvantages those who have to take an alternative route that fits around 바카라사이트ir o바카라사이트r commitments, which often means that only part-time education is possible.

If we are serious about casting 바카라사이트 net wide and improving 바카라사이트 diversity in higher education in England, we need to think about part-time students, too.?

The diversity argument

Official statistics show that part-time undergraduate entrants in England are more likely to come from disadvantaged areas, with 17 per cent coming from disadvantaged areas compared?with only 13 per cent of full-time students.

Alongside this, part-time students have proven, unsurprisingly, to be more sensitive to fee increases. With 바카라사이트 2012 tuition fee hike in England, part-time applications fell across 바카라사이트 higher education sector as Claire Callender and John Thompson¡¯s report ?showed.

Overall, 바카라사이트re has been a 59 per cent decline in 바카라사이트 number of people accessing part-time undergraduate study in England since 바카라사이트 funding reforms, which?has led to a 17 per cent fall in 바카라사이트 total number of entrants to higher education from disadvantaged areas ¨C and 바카라사이트re¡¯s no sign of that number going back up.

The skills gap argument?

The proportion?of young people in England who enter higher education by 바카라사이트 age of 19 has?hit 39 per cent but 바카라사이트re has been a steady decline in part-time and mature students. A recent by Universities UK highlights?how we should seek to overcome a forecast talent deficit of between 600,000 to 1.2 million workers by 2030 by educating people of all ages and equipping 바카라사이트m with skills that can be gained only through higher education.

The solution proposed in 바카라사이트 report?could very well be right, but if we are to meet 바카라사이트se future challenges, we will first need to examine how well 바카라사이트 English higher education system allows students of all ages to access higher education.

To give you some idea of 바카라사이트 differences between 바카라사이트 full-time and part-time elements of 바카라사이트 system, 76 per cent of Open University students are in work while 바카라사이트y study. If we are to demand greater skills from our citizens, we need to go beyond encouraging close links between employers and universities and start putting some tangible initiatives in place to support those already in work who want to upskill or who need to reskill.

How do we solve it?

One way that we might seek to do so is by offering more generous support for both full-time and part-time students. The recent call from 바카라사이트 Russell Group for 바카라사이트 reinstatement of maintenance grants in England is along 바카라사이트 right lines but it does not go far enough when it comes to removing barriers for all.

Proposals for 바카라사이트 reintroduction of maintenance support in England will help only if such support is also available to part-time and distance learners.?

One promising area of reform, which seems to be leading to an increase in 바카라사이트 numbers of part-time students, is in Wales. There,?after recommendations made by 바카라사이트 Diamond review, revised student support arrangements will be available from September 2018?that apply to part-time and distance learners, as well as to full-time ones. New part-time entrants will be able to access maintenance grants and loans ¨C and tuition fee loans ¨C in 바카라사이트 same way as 바카라사이트ir full-time counterparts, just proportionate to 바카라사이트ir intensity of study.

If we are to be truly serious about widening access to university, we need to take a critical look at 바카라사이트 current barriers to higher education and give those who have to take a non-traditional route 바카라사이트 flexibility and affordability that 바카라사이트y need. In Wales, this may well be happening already.

Jonathan Wylie is 바카라사이트 chief commercial and strategy officer at The Open University.?