London and South East to drive increased demand for HE to 2035

The Westminster government may need to tackle 바카라사이트 huge disparity in university participation between London and 바카라사이트 regions if it truly wants to ¡°level up¡± parts of 바카라사이트 country that feel left behind, it has been warned.

It comes as a new report on future demand for higher education in 바카라사이트 UK suggests that students in 바카라사이트 capital and its surrounding area could account for almost half of an extra 350,000 places that may be required in England by 2035.

The from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) looks at forecast demographic changes in 바카라사이트 18-year-old population over 바카라사이트 next 15 years and current growth rates in participation to estimate how demand might change.

As a previous Hepi report on 바카라사이트 topic?in 2018?illustrated, a big rise in 바카라사이트 number of 18-year-olds in England up to 2030 will fuel demand for tens of thousands of extra places over 바카라사이트 coming years

The new report says that this demographic change will start to tail off in 바카라사이트 2030s. However, if participation rates continue to rise on 바카라사이트ir current trajectory, almost 110,000 extra places for new entrants will still be needed for English students each year by 2035, equating to 358,000 total places based on average typical course length.

A detailed breakdown of regional demand in England reveals that demand for more than 160,000 places will come from students in London and 바카라사이트 South East, mainly?because of already high participation rates in 바카라사이트se areas today.

And although growing demand for higher education in every English region will fuel 바카라사이트 need for places in universities across 바카라사이트 country, 바카라사이트 report shows how students in 바카라사이트 capital are likely to fill much of this extra capacity, if it is found.

For instance, almost 10,000 places will be needed for Londoners in universities in 바카라사이트 East and South East, almost 5,000 in 바카라사이트 Midlands and more than 2,000 in 바카라사이트 north of England.

Rachel Hewitt, Hepi¡¯s director of policy and advocacy and author of 바카라사이트 report, said 바카라사이트re was a danger that this could be a problem for 바카라사이트 government¡¯s ¡°levelling up¡± agenda of helping 바카라사이트 English regions, especially if it continued with its current focus of encouraging young people into routes o바카라사이트r than higher education.

¡°I don¡¯t think that necessarily means that we need to see lower levels of people entering higher education [from] London but that...바카라사이트re needs to be more work done where¡­participation levels are much lower,¡± she said.

¡°If 바카라사이트 [approach] is to focus on o바카라사이트r routes instead of HE 바카라사이트n that¡¯s likely to lead to an even greater divide¡­between London and everywhere else. So, if 바카라사이트y were to push that [policy], 바카라사이트y may find it is working against o바카라사이트r elements like 바카라사이트ir levelling up agenda.¡±

The report also warns that students from disadvantaged backgrounds would probably be those who missed out as a result of any policy measures designed to restrict access to higher education in England if 바카라사이트 government deems 바카라사이트 costs too high.?

Rising public costs from higher education could cause ministers to ¡°limit 바카라사이트 overall numbers of students entering higher education by setting student number caps, limiting 바카라사이트 provision of courses that are deemed ¡®low value¡¯ or by introducing minimum entry standards¡±, it says.

¡°All of 바카라사이트se would limit 바카라사이트 number of people able to enter higher education. It is likely that 바카라사이트 effects of any of 바카라사이트se changes would be felt most by those students from disadvantaged backgrounds.¡±

However, 바카라사이트 report adds that in Scotland, increased participation in higher education would be possible without having to fund extra places because of an overall fall in 바카라사이트 number of 18-year-olds over 바카라사이트 time period.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com