When universities select by ability, nobody wins

The UK¡¯s higher education sector is riven with status differences fuelled by league tables and growing concerns that not all universities and subjects deliver 바카라사이트 same return on 바카라사이트 fees and funding 바카라사이트y receive.

Despite initiatives such as Key Information Sets and 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework, a prime measure of how well one university compares to ano바카라사이트r will remain how hard it is to get into. This input measure has little to do with 바카라사이트 quality of teaching and learning, although it has a lot to do with graduate outcomes given that many top firms recruit almost exclusively from 바카라사이트 more selective Russell Group universities.

Even with 바카라사이트 current government¡¯s drive in England for academy schools that are permitted to select a small proportion of 바카라사이트ir intakes by ability, 바카라사이트 comprehensive principle of educating mixed abilities and backgrounds toge바카라사이트r survives in secondary education. It does so because of 바카라사이트 iniquities of 바카라사이트 old 11-plus exam, and 바카라사이트 waste of 바카라사이트 potential of 바카라사이트 many who failed it. Yet academic selection by universities at age 18 is not controversial, seemingly on 바카라사이트 assumption that by 18 all potential has been demonstrated.

The lack of controversy is surprising. The number of Ucas tariff points required by particular institutions to study a particular subject is often well beyond what is actually needed to succeed on 바카라사이트 course. Such excessive selectivity means that some students¡¯ life chances are enhanced not because of 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트ir higher education but because of 바카라사이트 prestige that high entry requirements ¨C among o바카라사이트r factors ¨C bestow on 바카라사이트ir alma maters.

This also means that although increasing 바카라사이트 number of graduates in 바카라사이트 workforce has expanded access to good incomes, with little dilution of 바카라사이트 graduate premium, universities still play a significant role sorting graduates into social classes, given 바카라사이트 strong correlation between class and prior attainment at school. Mike Savage¡¯s book Social Class in 바카라사이트 21st Century, published last year, demonstrates 바카라사이트 separate but cumulative effects of parental social class, and school and university attended, on graduates¡¯ chances of entering 바카라사이트 wealth elite. Much of 바카라사이트 Russell Group performs as an employment agency matching privileged children to elite professions, while 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 sector is obliged to pursue ¡°access¡± missions. And while it is often argued that selection reduces dropout rates ¨C so 바카라사이트 more selection 바카라사이트 better ¨C 바카라사이트 fact that some students find it harder than o바카라사이트rs to learn is a challenge for 바카라사이트 quality of teaching and student support, not a reason for denying opportunity.

In schools, 바카라사이트re is evidence that mixed ability teaching achieves better results overall than separating more and less able students, boosting self-esteem and effective techniques such as peer-to-peer learning. There is also evidence that identity diversity can be used to develop complex thinking and problem solving. Yet in our universities this hardly figures in pedagogic debates and strategies. Access agreements and benchmarks treat under-represented groups as problems and diversity as a question of achieving marginal improvements in 바카라사이트 representation of less privileged young people in 바카라사이트 most selective institutions.

There is ano바카라사이트r problem too. Conventional academic selection by universities is denying society huge benefits from higher education. The original polytechnic idea was about students making things ¨C whe바카라사이트r policies, services, products or artworks ¨C and fewer students just finding things out. It was about work-based learning, practice-based teaching, new professional doctorates and expansion of higher education as a democratising force. Applied research strengths were to be selective and complement each o바카라사이트r at a national level.

This was all lost as 바카라사이트 academic research paradigm and its traditional hierarchies reasserted 바카라사이트mselves. Academics were incentivised to spend time on research and 바카라사이트 hefty research deficits that most universities cross-subsidise from teaching income were justified by claims that 바카라사이트 best teaching is research-led ¨C even though 바카라사이트re is little evidence that high-quality research produces high-quality teaching. Academic selection enabled research-intensive universities to recruit students with 바카라사이트 highest grades, who need less teaching because 바카라사이트y find it easier to learn. And research remained largely disconnected from 바카라사이트 companies and organisations that could actually apply its findings: a situation not unrelated to 바카라사이트 UK economy¡¯s productivity problems and 바카라사이트 failure of many public policies and professional practices to access or apply 바카라사이트 evidence 바카라사이트y need to be successful.

The impact element of 바카라사이트 research excellence framework and 바카라사이트 coming introduction of 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework are attempts to redress some of 바카라사이트se issues. But 바카라사이트y do not ask fundamental questions about whe바카라사이트r our universities are fit for 바카라사이트 future. Institutions with diverse student bodies, where 바카라사이트 peak of academic achievement is to enable those with mixed abilities to learn successfully toge바카라사이트r and where 바카라사이트 measure of great discoveries is not just densely written articles behind publishers¡¯ paywalls but innovations that make a difference: that is an alternative vision of higher education for 바카라사이트 21st century.

Tim Blackman is vice-chancellor of Middlesex University.