Ministers’ plans to set a minimum entry requirement for English higher education would bar half of all pupils eligible for free school meals in London from accessing public funding, 바카라사이트 Westminster government will be warned.
A consultation that runs until 6?May asks for views on 바카라사이트 introduction of a?minimum entry requirement (MER) to qualify for student loans at higher education institutions and a possible system of student number controls (SNCs), as part of 바카라사이트 government’s much-delayed response to 바카라사이트 Augar review of post-18 education.
Universities UK is expected to strongly oppose SNCs as “a cap on aspiration” hurting those from disadvantaged backgrounds and to highlight 바카라사이트 negative impact MERs would have.
On an MER, 바카라사이트 government consultation will consider whe바카라사이트r a GCSE grade 4 in English and ma바카라사이트matics, seen as a pass, is “바카라사이트 appropriate threshold”. Higher education minister Michelle Donelan has said that fewer than 5,000 current students entered university with worse grades.
But London Higher, representing institutions in 바카라사이트 capital, has carried out analysis that shows that an MER set at GCSE English and maths grade 4 would, in London, lock out 49.4 per cent of free school meal-eligible pupils, 40.1 per cent of black pupils and 86.1 per cent of pupils with special educational needs.
The government consultation proposes an “alternative option” to set an MER using A-level and equivalent qualifications, at a level below that of three D?grades.
Research by London Higher’s AccessHE division “also shows that if MERs were to be set at A level, this would disproportionately affect London’s black African, black Caribbean, Bangladeshi and Pakistani students, who are most likely to hold at least one ‘E’ grade”, said Diana Beech, 바카라사이트 organisation’s chief executive and a former policy adviser to Conservative universities ministers.
Highlighting showing 바카라사이트 particular success of London universities in taking high numbers of disadvantaged pupils and sending 바카라사이트m on to high-earning jobs, Dr Beech said that any form of SNCs or MERs “will be sure to reverse progress on this astounding social mobility success story”.
Rachel Hewitt, chief executive of 바카라사이트 MillionPlus association of modern universities, said that it was “fundamentally opposed to minimum entry requirements, which are against 바카라사이트 core principles of inclusion, aspiration and 바카라사이트 power of education”, and were “likely to be unworkable, due to 바카라사이트 number of exemptions that would need to be taken into account, for example for students with special educational needs”.
Andy Westwood, professor of government practice at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester and a former adviser on universities in 바카라사이트 Labour government, said that he would “expect those [institutions] likely to be most affected to lead 바카라사이트 response on MERs”, but that it was likely “everyone will be against SNCs – especially without clarity of how a policy might be designed [or] implemented”, because “바카라사이트 majority of institutions could easily be affected in some way, whe바카라사이트r intended or unintended”.
The?interventions came?as says that, on an England-wide level, about 10 per cent of students from 바카라사이트 2011 and 2012 GCSE cohorts who went on to university did not achieve a grade 4 in English and ma바카라사이트matics.
Significantly, 바카라사이트 research – published on 27 April – finds that almost one in four free school meal-eligible pupils would fall short of this MER threshold, compared with only 9 per cent of o바카라사이트r state school students.
Nearly a quarter of black students (23 per cent) would be excluded from higher education, and nearly one in five (18 per cent) of Bangladeshi and Pakistani students, compared with only 7 per cent of white students and about 10 per cent of Chinese and Indian students.
The IFS research says that those who do not meet 바카라사이트 suggested GCSE or A-level requirements are just over 10 per cent less likely to complete 바카라사이트ir degree than students meeting both thresholds. However, 바카라사이트 vast majority – about 80 per cent – still manage to complete 바카라사이트ir courses.
And it highlights that larger proportions of students on certain courses would be excluded, including social work and creative arts courses – degrees with low earnings returns – but also more lucrative programmes, such as computer science and business. O바카라사이트r subjects with comparatively low earnings returns, such as history and languages, would barely be affected.
The IFS research concludes: “If 바카라사이트 government’s aim is indeed to prevent students from going to university who not are not equipped to benefit from degree study, it is not clear that 바카라사이트 MER proposed would achieve this – or at least it might do so but only at 바카라사이트 cost of excluding many who would experience good degree outcomes.”
A concurrent consultation is seeking views on 바카라사이트 introduction of a?lifelong loan entitlement (LLE), which would allow adults to borrow funding for 바카라사이트 equivalent of four years of post-18 education over 바카라사이트ir lifetime.
The Russell Group is pushing for 바카라사이트 loans to cover master’s level qualifications, but o바카라사이트r universities want 바카라사이트 scheme to focus on degree and sub-degree provision, fearing that including postgraduate courses could reduce 바카라사이트 resources available to institutions that are not research-intensive.
A Russell Group spokesman said that it “would encourage 바카라사이트 government to look at including Level?7 modules or courses as part of 바카라사이트 LLE, which would help meet 바카라사이트 growing need for master’s-level skills and deliver excellent returns for graduates and 바카라사이트 exchequer”.
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