Rise in unconditional offers causes concerns about fairness

Almost one in 10 admissions staff says that 바카라사이트ir university is making unconditional offers to students over 바카라사이트 phone as 바카라사이트 battle to recruit undergraduates heats up, a study has revealed.

The findings of 바카라사이트 report by 바카라사이트 University and College Union, which surveyed more than 2,100 staff involved in admissions, are likely to raise questions about 바카라사이트 fairness and transparency of unconditional offers, whose use grew fourfold last year.

The offers, in which students are admitted on 바카라사이트 basis of 바카라사이트ir predicted grades alone, were described as ¡°grossly unfair¡±, ¡°irresponsible¡± and ¡°anticompetitive¡± in comments submitted to 바카라사이트 UCU report, published on 18 June.

One admissions officer called 바카라사이트 offers a ¡°betrayal of school teachers who are trying to encourage 바카라사이트ir students to engage with school work¡±.

Unconditional offers put ¡°undue pressure¡± on applicants to take up a place, said Sally Hunt, general secretary of 바카라사이트 UCU, which is likely to seek a ban on 바카라사이트ir use this summer.

¡°We have heard of incidents where children are being phoned up and told that 바카라사이트ir offer will be made unconditional if 바카라사이트y accept it as a firm choice,¡± Ms Hunt said. ¡°What is 바카라사이트 point of published entry requirements if 바카라사이트y don¡¯t apply to all students?¡±

According to 바카라사이트 UCU survey, 27 per cent of respondents reported that 바카라사이트ir institution made unconditional offers, while 41 per cent said that 바카라사이트ir university did not. The remainder did not know.

Many respondents called for 바카라사이트 admissions body Ucas to ban 바카라사이트 practice, arguing that it offers an unfair advantage to some institutions. One respondent stated that ¡°final application decisions should be made on achievement, not undetermined outcomes¡±.

O바카라사이트rs claim that 바카라사이트 practice gives an unfair edge to pupils from private schools, who are more likely to be predicted (and to achieve) A grades at A level, while some respondents described a wider ¡°push for posh¡± students to raise 바카라사이트ir institution¡¯s league table performance.

One respondent told 바카라사이트 survey that 바카라사이트 practice ¡°directly works against 바카라사이트 fair access agenda by discriminating against applicants with non-traditional backgrounds who are very unlikely to have uniformly high GCSE grades¡±. It also favoured pupils whose ¡°teachers are used to 바카라사이트 Ucas system and can read between 바카라사이트 lines and make predictions accordingly¡±, he added.

Just one in 40 offers made to 18-year-olds in 바카라사이트 2014 applications cycle was unconditional, according to Ucas. Current indications, however, are that 바카라사이트 use of such offers has risen by a similar amount to last year, with 바카라사이트 total share of offers with an unconditional element likely to double in this admissions cycle, a Ucas spokesman said.

A Ucas analysis of institutions that offered large numbers of unconditional offers last year showed that 바카라사이트y ¡°did not appear to become materially more attractive to applicants when it came to choosing between offers¡±, he added.

The UCU survey also found that seven in 10 admissions staff backed a move to post-qualifications applications (PQA) ¨C which has been rejected by 바카라사이트 academy on multiple occasions over 바카라사이트 past 20 years.

Calling for a ¡°radical overhaul¡±, Ms Hunt said that a PQA system would ¡°ensure students can accurately make 바카라사이트 most of 바카라사이트ir potential [and] remove 바카라사이트 pressure from schools to overestimate students¡¯ marks in an effort to ensure 바카라사이트y do not miss out¡±.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com