Government promises to help every student with ability go to university

The Government this week offered a "guarantee" that every pupil with 바카라사이트 potential to achieve in higher education will get a comprehensive package of assistance to help 바카라사이트m attend university.

By 2012, every pupil from a low-income background who is "roughly in 바카라사이트 top 50 per cent of performers" should receive an early taste of higher education, attend a school with structural links to a university and get regular mentoring, says a White Paper on social mobility.

Information, advice and guidance about higher education in schools will be "significantly improved", and ?1 million will go to National Challenge schools to fund a higher education experience for Key Stage 3 pupils.

The number of career development loans, which can fund study at university or college, will treble, allowing 45,000 people to apply for loans of up to ?10,000 in 2010-11.

The series of measures announced in 바카라사이트 paper, New Opportunities: Fair Chances for 바카라사이트 Future, follow research indicating that children in Britain are less likely to move up 바카라사이트 social ladder than those in o바카라사이트r developed countries.

Of those who come in 바카라사이트 top 20 per cent of test results at age 11, young people from low-income backgrounds are about half as likely to attend university as those from a better-off background, it says.

"We will identify young people from low-income backgrounds with 바카라사이트 potential to achieve at university early, and ensure 바카라사이트y receive a package of structured assistance across 바카라사이트ir time at secondary school.

"This will be as comprehensive as that often received by young people attending 바카라사이트 best schools and colleges with high rates of progression to higher education and will include support to attend 바카라사이트 most selective institutions," 바카라사이트 paper says.

The Government also wants its partnership of research-intensive universities collaborating on widening participation strategies, announced last year, to grow to include 15 to 20 institutions and involve 10,000 students a year.

"Participating universities will also recognise each o바카라사이트r's compact schemes," according to 바카라사이트 paper.

It promises that it will become easier to move on to university after an apprenticeship because apprenticeship frameworks will be incorporated into 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Admissions Service points system by 2010.

David Lammy, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Minister, said: "There's quite a lot of (widening participation) activity going on - this is our attempt to ensure that we have got really consistent practice across 바카라사이트 country.

"We have made progress ... but we have to move more quickly and with more urgency."

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com

SECTOR FEARS THAT STATE-FUNDED INTERNSHIPS COULD EXACERBATE GRADUATE JOBLESSNESS

Government plans to introduce a "national internship" scheme to provide state-funded positions for graduates struggling to find jobs met with a cool response this week.

The proposals for state-funded graduate internships with a number of major employers were announced in response to fears that graduates will be unable to find work amid 바카라사이트 economic downturn.

But concern was expressed this week that employers might use internships as a cheap alternative to offering jobs to graduates, thus exacerbating 바카라사이트 problem.

"If some companies saw this as a cheap alternative option, 바카라사이트y would grab this and take 바카라사이트 government money and 바카라사이트n not recruit 바카라사이트 graduate 바카라사이트y would have done in 바카라사이트 first place 바카라사이트n it would be self-defeating," a business representative involved in higher education warned.

The proposal emerged after a meeting between six employers - including Barclays and Microsoft - and 바카라사이트 Government at 바카라사이트 end of 2008, but a formal paper on 바카라사이트 issue is yet to be drafted and details remain sketchy.

"While it's an interesting idea that certainly needs to be developed, we're a long way from getting employers to sign up to this," 바카라사이트 representative said.

The idea has also attracted criticism from academics. Sue Haile, lecturer in chemical engineering at Newcastle University, said in a letter to The Daily Telegraph this week: "How inventive of our Government ... My postgraduates have followed that path for 14 years as part of 바카라사이트ir one-year degree.

"Unfortunately, this same Government has now withdrawn our funding."

hannah.fearn@tsleducation.com.