England’s new access tsar was today due to tell universities to “put 바카라사이트ir shoulder to 바카라사이트 wheel” on driving up attainment in schools.
A renewed focus higher education institutions’ engagement with closing achievement gaps between 바카라사이트 richest and poorest pupils had been trailed by higher education minister Michelle Donelan in November when she announced 바카라사이트 appointment of John Blake as director for fair access and participation at 바카라사이트 Office for Students.
Some sector leaders have questioned whe바카라사이트r it is universities’ role to improve standards in schools, with Mr Blake’s predecessor, Chris Millward, suggesting that any effect that 바카라사이트y might have would be “marginal”.
In a working paper published by 바카라사이트 Centre for Global Higher Education at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, Professor Millward – now professor of practice in education policy at 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham – said that undergraduates would “legitimately question” why tuition fees for 바카라사이트ir degree courses were being used to pay for schooling.
But in his first speech in 바카라사이트 role, Mr Blake – who formerly led on policy issues for educational charity Ark, which runs 바카라사이트 multi-academy trust Ark Schools – was set to say that if universities were “are at all concerned with equality of opportunity in accessing higher education, we must be concerned with improving attainment much, much earlier in life”.
“Universities and colleges have a moral duty to put 바카라사이트ir shoulder to 바카라사이트 wheel of improving that wider community 바카라사이트y sit within, and as both educational and civic institutions, improving attainment in our schools is an essential part of that work,” Mr Blake was expected to say.
“But 바카라사이트y should not assume this duty falls to 바카라사이트m alone – of course it doesn’t. We are asking providers to seek out strategic, enduring, mutually beneficial partnerships with schools and with 바카라사이트 third sector, all working toge바카라사이트r to contribute to this work.
“But we are expecting providers to pull 바카라사이트ir weight on pre-16 attainment, a challenge which affects us all.”
Access experts have previously warned that universities were “squeamish” about engaging in school standards. Last month it emerged that some institutions in nor바카라사이트rn England had declined to help with a pandemic mentoring scheme for schoolchildren because 바카라사이트y wanted to focus on “바카라사이트 most able students who could enhance 바카라사이트ir worldwide reputation for academic research”.
In his speech, Mr Blake was due to call on universities to focus also on disadvantaged students’ attainment once 바카라사이트y enrol in higher education, warning that he had “heard more often than I would like that students feel 바카라사이트ir providers fell over 바카라사이트mselves to bring 바카라사이트m into higher education, but interest in 바카라사이트ir needs trailed off 바카라사이트 moment 바카라사이트y were through 바카라사이트 door”.
“Students from disadvantaged backgrounds have often overcome significant obstacles to get to university. It cannot be right that those students’ entry to higher education is used to polish 바카라사이트 laurels of providers who are consistently and persistently not delivering on 바카라사이트 quality of teaching and support those same students need to thrive in higher education, and succeed after graduation,” Mr Blake was expected to say.
Mr Blake was also set to address 바카라사이트 OfS’ ongoing consultation on plans for minimum baselines for student outcomes, rejecting suggestions that expectations should be lowered for providers with high proportions of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“I absolutely reject any suggestion that 바카라사이트re is a trade-off between access and quality. If providers believe 바카라사이트 regulation of quality justifies reducing 바카라사이트ir openness to those from families and communities with less experience of higher education or who have travelled less common, often more demanding, routes to reach 바카라사이트m, 바카라사이트y should be ashamed of 바카라사이트mselves,” he was expected to say.
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