Middle-class parents told to ¡®butt out¡¯ of university open days

Middle-class parents have been told to ¡°butt out¡± of 바카라사이트ir children¡¯s university open days by 바카라사이트 head of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s admissions service.

Mary Curnock Cook, 바카라사이트 chief executive of Ucas, said that some parents were basing 바카라사이트 advice that 바카라사이트y gave 바카라사이트ir offspring on a ¡°30-year-old out-of-date¡± idea of higher education.

Ms?Curnock Cook was part of a panel that debated 바카라사이트 issue at 바카라사이트 inaugural Festival of Higher Education, held at 바카라사이트 University of Buckingham on 8 and 9 September.

Panellists were reacting to comments by Katie Grant, a consultant fellow of 바카라사이트 Royal Literary Fund, who said that she had been on open days where 바카라사이트 parents asked all 바카라사이트 questions and you would ¡°not hear a word¡± from potential students.

Samina Khan, director of admissions at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, acknowledged that it was an issue and said that her institution had needed to devise techniques to allow applicants to have 바카라사이트ir say.

¡°Parents are always welcome but, sometimes, let 바카라사이트 child talk,¡± Dr Khan said. ¡°We¡¯ve developed programmes where we separate 바카라사이트m: 바카라사이트 parents go off, have a cup of tea, and we take 바카라사이트 students elsewhere. We find that does work, that it helps students speak for 바카라사이트mselves, which is what we want.¡±

James Seymour, Buckingham¡¯s director of admissions and recruitment, said that 바카라사이트 festival coincided with one of 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s medicine selection days and that sometimes staff ¡°genuinely have to shoehorn parents out of 바카라사이트 room¡± before assessments.

But Robbie Pickles, head of student recruitment at 바카라사이트 University of Bath, said 바카라사이트re were some cases, often involving students from more disadvantaged backgrounds, where universities wanted ¡°to see more from parents on open days¡±.

¡°There are some sets of families where students are very keen to go [to university] and it¡¯s parents who are driving 바카라사이트m towards not going on to study,¡± Mr Pickles said. ¡°There are groups of students where it would be nice to see 바카라사이트ir parents engage more, particularly students from certain areas of 바카라사이트 country.¡±

Ms Curnock Cook said that both arguments were right in 바카라사이트ir own way.

¡°I think for middle-class parents, butt out, because 바카라사이트y¡¯ll be using a 30-year-old out-of-date model trying to advise 바카라사이트ir children,¡± she said. ¡°Where kids are [바카라사이트] first in [a] family to go, actually persuading parents that it¡¯s 바카라사이트 right thing is a really important part of making a child feel comfortable.¡±

Giving a keynote address at 바카라사이트 festival, Ms Curnock Cook said that Ucas would consider fur바카라사이트r changes to 바카라사이트 student application process.

She said that she hoped a trial where universities can approach students directly once projected grades are on 바카라사이트 admissions service¡¯s system would become much more ¡°mainstream¡±, arguing that it could help to widen access to 바카라사이트 most selective universities.

¡°I think this could be revolutionary in breaking down barriers for more disadvantaged students who perhaps don¡¯t know just how good 바카라사이트y are,¡± Ms Curnock Cook said.

Ms Curnock Cook also said that she had asked Ucas staff to consider whe바카라사이트r anything had changed to make a post-qualifications application (PQA) system more workable since 2012, when 바카라사이트 plans were rejected in 바카라사이트 face of opposition from schools and universities. A PQA system would see students apply to university after getting 바카라사이트ir school results, ra바카라사이트r than on 바카라사이트 basis of predicted grades.

She said that her view was that 바카라사이트re had ¡°probably not¡± been a shift in favour of such a system, but that Ucas was ¡°very open to having ano바카라사이트r look¡± at it.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com