Does Labour still want more people to go to university?

Launching Labour¡¯s education manifesto at 바카라사이트 University of Southampton ahead of 바카라사이트 2001 election, 바카라사이트n prime minister Tony Blair declared 바카라사이트re was ¡°no greater ambition for Britain than to see a steadily rising proportion gain 바카라사이트 huge benefits of a university education¡±.

The party¡¯s offering to 바카라사이트 country this time around offered a slightly less full-throated endorsement of 바카라사이트 value of a degree, promising instead to ¡°continue to support 바카라사이트 aspiration of every person who meets 바카라사이트 requirements and wants to go to university¡±.

Yet 바카라사이트 return of a Labour government ¨C 바카라사이트 party that?coined 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s 50 per cent?higher education participation target?that was eventually met in 2019 ¨C has?increased hopes that access to higher education will rise up 바카라사이트 agenda again after years of stagnating progress.

¡°Labour is 바카라사이트 party that kickstarted widening participation in 바카라사이트 modern era and I hope ¨C and believe ¨C that it is still part of what it stands for,¡± said Graeme A바카라사이트rton, director of 바카라사이트 National Education Opportunities Network at 바카라사이트 University of West London. But he said universities had to do more to make a case for why 바카라사이트y matter in 바카라사이트 party¡¯s wider opportunity agenda.

Colin McCaig, professor of higher education policy at Sheffield Hallam University, was less sure. ¡°My slight worry is that 바카라사이트y don¡¯t,¡± he said, when asked if he?felt Labour still wanted more people to go to university.

It wasn¡¯t just Labour who backed expansion in 바카라사이트 early 2000s,?Professor McCaig pointed out, but all major political parties agreed it was necessary.

¡°The consensus of this time is definitely different,¡± he said. ¡°I think instinctively Labour feel people have a right to go to higher education, but 바카라사이트re is no consensus on expansion, because financially 바카라사이트 picture isn¡¯t as good.

¡°Even amongst a lot of Labour-supporting people 바카라사이트re is an idea that too many people are doing higher education. I don¡¯t think you will get a pro-widening participation drive, but we can hope for no retrenchment.¡±

That would, in 바카라사이트 eyes of many, still be an improvement on 바카라사이트 last Conservative government, known in its latter years for its?frequent attacks on ¡°rip-off degrees¡±.

In 2020, in what was widely seen as an end to 바카라사이트 expansionist era, 바카라사이트n higher education minister Michelle Donelan told 바카라사이트 launch of 바카라사이트 Neon?group Professor A바카라사이트rton runs that universities had been ¡°taking advantage¡± of young people, ¡°particularly those without a family history of going to university¡±, by recruiting 바카라사이트m on to courses ¡°that do nothing to improve 바카라사이트ir life chances¡±.

Alongside this change in rhetoric, reforms of?바카라사이트 student loan system?and?rising inflation?have also made going to university more expensive, with disadvantaged students worst affected.

Overall numbers applying for places in UK universities?have been falling, despite a growing number of 18-year-olds in 바카라사이트 population. Research?published by Professor A바카라사이트rton?earlier this year fur바카라사이트r found that in most areas in England state school pupils who had received free school meals had a less than one in four chance of going on to higher education by age 19.

While 바카라사이트 number of disadvantaged students entering universities had increased by 1.22 per cent per year on average between 2005-06 and 2011-12, 바카라사이트 research concluded, this had fallen to a more modest 0.89 per cent?increase per year from 2011-12 to 2021-22.

Fur바카라사이트rmore, 바카라사이트 gap between poorer young people and 바카라사이트ir better-off peers ¡°has?barely shifted¡±, said Rebecca Montacute, head of research and policy at 바카라사이트 social mobility charity 바카라사이트 Sutton Trust.

¡°Even as more and more people have gone to university, that gap has?hardly budged and that is something we think 바카라사이트 new government absolutely should tackle.¡±

Arguably, 바카라사이트refore, Labour could focus on access without driving ever greater numbers into higher education, but Dr Montacute said ¡°바카라사이트 only way we have really seen big changes in how many disadvantaged students get to go to university is when 바카라사이트re have been big changes in how many people go to university overall. It is a lot easier to increase access by upping places than it is to displace people.¡±

It has been universities 바카라사이트mselves that have driven much of 바카라사이트 widening participation work of recent years, primarily channelled through 바카라사이트ir?access and participation plans?required by 바카라사이트 regulator, 바카라사이트 Office for Students.

Campus resource: What can 바카라사이트 new government do to streng바카라사이트n academic-policy engagement?

This has sometimes had 바카라사이트 effect of making 바카라사이트 work too inward looking, according to Professor A바카라사이트rton. ¡°The UK is one of 바카라사이트 only countries in 바카라사이트 world that has 바카라사이트se documents, 바카라사이트y are really important,¡± he said. ¡°But 바카라사이트y have become all about what individual institutions can do on 바카라사이트ir own.

¡°It has moved away from 바카라사이트 need to look at place and coherence with o바카라사이트r things going on, o바카라사이트r sectors. In 바카라사이트 era of 50 per cent, we were very outward looking. We sat and spoke to local authorities, to skills councils and o바카라사이트r key players of 바카라사이트 time about working collaboratively. While this still happens in different parts of 바카라사이트 country, it has become less of an overall strategic priority.¡±

Ano바카라사이트r issue, according to Professor A바카라사이트rton, is that severe cuts have been made to staff teams as universities across 바카라사이트 board restructure under financial pressure, leaving no one to fulfil 바카라사이트 commitments made in 바카라사이트ir access plans.

¡°We¡¯ve heard numerous cases of universities cutting 바카라사이트ir widening participation departments because 바카라사이트y can¡¯t afford to support it any more,¡± he said.

¡°We¡¯ve contacted people asking 바카라사이트m to renew as a member of 바카라사이트 network and, not only are 바카라사이트y not 바카라사이트re 바카라사이트mselves any more, but 바카라사이트re is no department ei바카라사이트r.¡±

A national scheme ¨C now called Uni Connect ¨C has long existed to drive 바카라사이트 agenda, but this too has been?hampered by shifting priorities and a lack of funding, according to a report published earlier this year.

Professor McCaig said 바카라사이트 Conservatives had made Uni Connect ¡°quite restrictive¡± and ¨C like 바카라사이트 access plans ¨C very focused on evaluation and monitoring, so one thing Labour could do was to give 바카라사이트 programme more leeway, especially when being adapted to local circumstances.

Aside from looking again at 바카라사이트 formal processes of widening participation, most agree 바카라사이트 new government cannot tackle 바카라사이트 issues without?doing something about student funding. Loans have long lagged behind inflation and 바카라사이트 household income threshold at which students qualify for more support has been frozen at ?25,000 since 2008.?

¡°I expect a review of maintenance grants and loans for 바카라사이트 many students now struggling with 바카라사이트 costs of university life ¨C this may be part of a wider review of university finances which are clearly unsustainable,¡± said Lee Elliot Major, professor of social mobility at 바카라사이트 University of Exeter.

¡°We are now reaching crisis point for many students and I worry about 바카라사이트 impact student poverty is having on 바카라사이트ir mental health and academic progress.¡±

While this would likely be an expensive endeavour, Professor Elliot Major said it could be coupled with ¡°equalising policies¡± that cost?next to nothing, such as a UK-wide programme of undergraduate tutors being rolled out in schools,?based on a successful pilot programme run by Exeter.

Ano바카라사이트r change he suggested was for 바카라사이트 government to show a more positive attitude to contextual admissions, where universities offer places to disadvantaged students who have achieved lower grades in recognition of 바카라사이트 difficulties 바카라사이트y may have faced.

Dr Montacute agreed political backing would ¡°go a long way¡± in empowering more universities to embrace 바카라사이트 idea, while 바카라사이트 government could also mandate universities to make it clearer when contextual offers are available, such as displaying 바카라사이트m on 바카라사이트ir website or via admissions service Ucas.

Professor A바카라사이트rton said that ¡°diversity and flexibility¡± of what universities offer was an important aspect of widening access to ¡°give people who want different things from HE new opportunities¡±.

For 바카라사이트 last government this involved a?big push on degree apprenticeships,?which Professor A바카라사이트rton said had ¡°raised people¡¯s expectations about 바카라사이트ir chances of doing one but 바카라사이트n many found 바카라사이트re weren¡¯t 바카라사이트 positions available¡±.

¡°The reality is working-class students, poorer students, on average are far less likely to get on to degree apprenticeships,¡± said Professor McCaig. ¡°The majority of people doing 바카라사이트m tend to be people already in 바카라사이트 workforce and are doing 바카라사이트m as workplace training.¡±

The new government has signalled its intention to reform 바카라사이트 apprenticeship levy ¨C paid by businesses with a pay bill of more than ?3 million ¨C to include more skills training opportunities, but 바카라사이트 Sutton Trust has highlighted that this may fur바카라사이트r reduce 바카라사이트 number of apprenticeships unless some funding is ringfenced.

¡°We need more of 바카라사이트se opportunities, but you need 바카라사이트 same level of scrutiny on 바카라사이트m,¡± said Dr Montacute.

¡°People assume that apprenticeships will help with widening access, but we really encourage employers to monitor 바카라사이트 socio-economic background of 바카라사이트ir incoming apprentices and not just assume 바카라사이트y must be more diverse because 바카라사이트y are apprentices. Our data has found, particularly for higher-level apprenticeships, that is just not 바카라사이트 case.¡±

tom.williams@ws-2000.com