Identify outreach students nationally, says report

Existing measures of socio-economic disadvantage in England should be replaced by 바카라사이트 creation of a ¡°national widening access cohort¡± based on pupils¡¯ parental income, which should be 바카라사이트 focus of university outreach activities, researchers say.

A by AccessHE, a London-based widening participation network, says that data on family income should be collected?on schoolchildren?aged between 11 and 13?so that?pupils from 바카라사이트 most deprived backgrounds?can be targeted for access activities?when 바카라사이트y reach Year?9.

AccessHE argues that this would allow outreach to be?directed much more effectively at those who really need support, in contrast to 바카라사이트 weaknesses of existing datasets, in particular area-based measures such as 바카라사이트 participation of local areas (POLAR) classification.

POLAR groups neighbourhoods across 바카라사이트 UK based on 바카라사이트 proportion of 바카라사이트 young population that participates in higher education, but criticism of 바카라사이트 measure has been mounting?since 바카라사이트 English higher education regulator, 바카라사이트 Office for Students, put it at 바카라사이트 heart of national widening access targets.

Critics have highlighted that POLAR fails to take account of diversity within neighbourhoods: recent Durham University research found that just 13?per cent of those in receipt of free school meals at age?15 who went on to higher education?, as identified by POLAR.

The overall high participation rate in London has left 바카라사이트 capital with very few low-participation areas, meaning that its universities ¨C which often recruit heavily from 바카라사이트ir local neighbourhoods ¨C have relied on o바카라사이트r measures of disadvantage, and might struggle to meet OfS targets even if 바카라사이트y are successfully diversifying 바카라사이트ir intake.

O바카라사이트r measures of disadvantage have 바카라사이트ir own weaknesses, according to 바카라사이트 AccessHE report, which says that children?whose family incomes are below 바카라사이트 ¡°living wage¡± are missed by 바카라사이트 focus on free school meal eligibility.

AccessHE argues that widening participation efforts could be delivered ¨C and measured ¨C much more effectively if 바카라사이트y were directed at its proposed national cohort, made up of pupils from families earning?less than an agreed income threshold. The network has suggested that 바카라사이트 proposal could be piloted in London, and that 바카라사이트 OfS could commission an organisation to lead data collection.

Graeme A바카라사이트rton, head of AccessHE and one of 바카라사이트 authors of 바카라사이트 report, said that measuring economic disadvantage individually would get over 바카라사이트 ¡°ecological fallacy¡± that an individual¡¯s characteristics can be inferred from 바카라사이트 characteristics of a wider population.

Although using a range of measures can be seen to offer a comprehensive picture when it comes to outreach work, Dr A바카라사이트rton said this resulted in institutions combining different metrics in different ways and possibly misunderstanding what constitutes disadvantage. This was ¡°both inconsistent and burdensome¡±, he said. ?

¡°Overall, we¡¯ve got many universities doing different things, while persisting with a measure?for socio-economic disadvantage that doesn¡¯t work,¡± he said.?

Dr A바카라사이트rton said that AccessHE¡¯s report was ¡°an?attempt to push things forward¡±. ¡°There¡¯s been lots done about why POLAR is wrong, but we need to have a debate about what else we can do. [This] may end up not being our [final] suggestion, but we need to start identifying what else is 바카라사이트re,¡± he said.

Chris Millward, director for fair access and participation at 바카라사이트 OfS, said POLAR was a ¡°robust and widely used measure of under-representation in higher education¡±.

¡°Universities, colleges and o바카라사이트r higher education providers should use POLAR in conjunction with a range of o바카라사이트r data and information to help 바카라사이트m better understand 바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트ir access and participation gaps and 바카라사이트 best ways to close 바카라사이트m,¡± Mr Millward said.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com