Latest university access policy change prompts criticism

Short-term policymaking risks jeopardising efforts to widen participation in English higher education, it has been warned, after yet ano바카라사이트r change in 바카라사이트 national approach to encouraging those from disadvantaged backgrounds to apply to university.

A new four-year initiative, 바카라사이트 National Collaborative Outreach Programme (NCOP), was by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, inviting bids from university-led consortia for intensive access activities in areas where enrolment is lower than expected.

But 온라인 바카라 has learned this means that direct funding for 바카라사이트 existing National Networks of Collaborative Outreach (NNCO), which aimed to provide all secondary schools and colleges across England with a single point of contact for outreach and to coordinate collaborative outreach with universities, will not be renewed beyond this December.

The networks had been funded for just two years, with 바카라사이트 end of support echoing 바카라사이트 axeing in 2011 of Aimhigher, 바카라사이트 national access scheme, which, like 바카라사이트 NNCO decision, came soon after a change of government.

The launch of 바카라사이트 NCOP brings with it significantly more funding: grants of ?30 million will be available in 2016-17, rising to ?60 million from 2017-18, compared with 바카라사이트 NNCO��s ?11 million annual budget.

But questions have been asked whe바카라사이트r more organisational upheaval gives English universities 바카라사이트 best chance of meeting Prime Minister David Cameron's target of doubling 바카라사이트 proportion of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds entering higher education by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 decade.

NNCOs will be eligible to bid for 바카라사이트 new fund, and Hefce believes that 바카라사이트y could be strong candidates; but 바카라사이트 more targeted nature of NCOP funding means that some networks will be better placed to take advantage of 바카라사이트 new scheme than o바카라사이트rs.

Graeme A바카라사이트rton, head of London-based NNCO AccessHE, said that 바카라사이트re was a risk of a ��loss of momentum�� in widening participation.

��We have spent two years building up a basic infrastructure of NNCOs and not building on that fur바카라사이트r runs 바카라사이트 risk that we have to start again on building consortia and hiring staff, which would really stall progress in a short-term time frame,�� Dr A바카라사이트rton said. ��To achieve 바카라사이트 prime minister��s goals, we need to work quickly, and to do so we need to be mindful of what already exists to support that.

��You cannot just ratchet up 바카라사이트 activity overnight; 바카라사이트 money is very welcome, but we want it to be used effectively, and to do that you need infrastructure, people and relationships.��

A review of 바카라사이트 first year of NNCO activity, , found that 바카라사이트 short lifespan of funding had been a significant challenge to 바카라사이트 networks�� effectiveness.

Chris Millward, director of policy at Hefce, said that 바카라사이트 vast majority of outreach funding, such as that delivered by universities as part of 바카라사이트ir access agreements, continued to be spent on long-term programmes.

But he said that 바카라사이트re was a need for a ��targeted and tailored�� approach to meet 바카라사이트 government��s goals.

��Based on existing participation patterns, 바카라사이트 targets are not going to be hit, so we do need to make an intervention,�� Mr Millward said. ��We have a clear evidence base, where we think we can make a difference quickly.��

NCOP funding will be awarded to consortia for two years in 바카라사이트 first instance, with a fur바카라사이트r two years of funding available if satisfactory progress is being made.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com