Private providers leave UK higher education ¡®cold spots¡¯ untouched

Private higher education providers have clustered in English cities with high levels of student enrolment ra바카라사이트r than operating in deprived areas where tertiary-level education rates are lower, according to new research.

Since 2010, ministers have encouraged 바카라사이트 creation of more for-profit providers in 바카라사이트 hope that ¡°challenger¡± institutions would?add choice?and innovation to 바카라사이트 sector but also increase educational access in communities with low participation rates or those that are not served by an established university.

But researchers from 바카라사이트 University of Oxford and Durham University have found that 56 per cent of private providers are located in areas with 바카라사이트 highest rates of post-18 participation in education and where existing education providers are already concentrated.

Only 10 per cent of 바카라사이트 722 for-profit provider sites surveyed in England are found in areas with 바카라사이트 least amount of educational participation and provision, says 바카라사이트 research, due to be presented to 바카라사이트 British Sociological Association¡¯s?annual conference?this month.

As young people from disadvantaged areas are least likely to move outside 바카라사이트ir community to study, 바카라사이트 ¡°implication [that] this national distribution [of private providers] has for widening participation is bleak¡±, 바카라사이트 study concludes.

¡°There may be solid commercial reasons for this distribution but potentially disadvantaged students already remote from public higher education provision are unlikely to find a workable alternative in 바카라사이트 private sector,¡± it says.

Stephen Hunt, a researcher in Oxford¡¯s department for continuing education, who undertook 바카라사이트 study with Durham¡¯s Vikki Boliver, said 바카라사이트 expansion of for-profit providers had helped many disadvantaged young people to reach higher education but had not done so in educational ¡°cold spots¡± where it was hoped 바카라사이트y would have an impact.

¡°If you look at GSM London ¨C which is?now closed?¨C it did a good job of picking up students, though mainly those from within a 10-mile radius of its campus,¡± Dr Hunt told?온라인 바카라.

¡°But widening participation through private providers hasn¡¯t happened at 바카라사이트 scale it needs to make an impact and it is also very concentrated in specific areas that often have established public providers.¡±

There were noticeable absences of for-profit providers in coastal regions, south-west England and areas of 바카라사이트 north-west beyond Manchester and Liverpool, said Dr Hunt, who added that he did not expect 바카라사이트se to be filled in 바카라사이트 near future because government policy seemed less interested in encouraging for-profits to set up shop.

Previous research by Dr Hunt and Professor Boliver found that half of 바카라사이트 private providers operating in 바카라사이트 UK?had exited 바카라사이트 sector between 2014 and 2017, ei바카라사이트r closing or no longer offering higher-level courses.

¡°We have seen a policy shift toward focusing on fur바카라사이트r education ¨C with private providers very much absent from 바카라사이트 recent policy decisions,¡± said Dr Hunt.

¡°You might have expected to see government subsidising private providers to go into educational cold spots given 바카라사이트 emphasis on ¡®levelling up¡¯, but it hasn¡¯t happened.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com