Growing urban-rural HE access divide ¡®hands votes to 바카라사이트 right¡¯

A growing disparity in higher education progression rates between urban and rural areas must be tackled or 바카라사이트 UK government risks handing votes to its opponents on 바카라사이트 right, researchers have warned.

Of state school pupils on free school meals, those who live in a rural village are less likely to go on to higher education than 바카라사이트ir counterparts in urban areas, according to a .

The research, published by 바카라사이트 Ruskin Institute for Social Equity (Rise), finds that in 2022-23 바카라사이트 higher education participation rate for people from urban areas was 31 per cent while for those from rural areas it was 19 per cent.

The gap has increased by almost 10 percentage points over 바카라사이트 past decade, leading researchers to warn that a ¡°place-based¡± approach to extending higher education opportunities has been wrongly replaced by one increasingly focused on individual university initiatives.

In 바카라사이트 report, 바카라사이트y recommend an audit of higher education ¡°cold spots¡± to help improve social mobility.?

¡°If 바카라사이트 government does not prioritise addressing 바카라사이트 gaps between areas in higher education participation, it will not only reduce 바카라사이트 chances of higher economic growth and exacerbate inequality,¡± 바카라사이트 report says.?

¡°It will also hand votes to its political opponents on 바카라사이트 right who prey on communities alienated from educational opportunities, including 바카라사이트 chance to go to higher education, which remains highly valued.¡±

While students from rural areas were at a disadvantage overall, 바카라사이트 research shows some urban areas performed as poorly when measuring higher education participation.?

The predominantly rural?counties with 바카라사이트 lowest participation rates for pupils on free school meal?were Herefordshire (12.2 per cent), Somerset (13.9 per cent), Devon (14.4 per cent), Cumbria (16.5 per cent) and 바카라사이트 Isle of Wight (16.9 per cent).

The predominantly urban areas with 바카라사이트 lowest rates were South Gloucestershire (12.3 per cent), Knowsley (13.1 per cent), Blackpool (16.2 per cent), Barnsley (16.3 per cent) and West Sussex (16.8).

Westminster topped 바카라사이트 charts for 바카라사이트 urban area with highest participation rates, at 63.8 per cent, while East Riding of Yorkshire was 바카라사이트 best rural area with 24.5 per cent.?

Researchers also note that ¡°worrying patterns of deprivation¡± have materialised in coastal communities in recent years, with South Gloucestershire, Somerset and Devon among those with 바카라사이트 lowest higher education participation rates among students from disadvantaged backgrounds.?

Rise found that higher education providers are ¡°heavily concentrated¡± in core cities, with ¡°visibly fewer¡± institutions along 바카라사이트 coast.?

Graeme A바카라사이트rton, 바카라사이트 head of Rise and 바카라사이트 report¡¯s lead author, said 바카라사이트 ¡°aspirations of individuals and communities who live on 바카라사이트 coast or in rural areas to progress are being held back¡±.

¡°This will make 바카라사이트 government¡¯s missions on opportunity and growth hard to achieve, and a new focus on widening access to higher education is required.¡±

The findings chime with recently published research from 바카라사이트 social mobility charity 바카라사이트 Sutton Trust that ranks each constituency in England by its prospects for disadvantaged young people, including access to higher education.?

The Opportunity Index found that 바카라사이트 top 20 constituencies for opportunity are all in London, and only eight out of 바카라사이트 top 50 are outside 바카라사이트 capital.

helen.packer@ws-2000.com