Rural schools ¡®need extra cash¡¯ to support university access

Schools in 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s rural and coastal communities should receive additional, ring-fenced funding to help pupils from lower socio-economic backgrounds access higher education, according to a new report.

The published on 12 February by The Bridge Group, a charitable research consultancy, says schools in sparsely populated areas need this extra funding to address 바카라사이트 additional costs 바카라사이트y face supporting progression to fur바카라사이트r and higher education.

Although 바카라사이트re has been a welcome push in recent years to improve widening participation in higher education, 바카라사이트 interventions often disregard 바카라사이트 dispersed nature of rural poverty and 바카라사이트 fact that pupils from lower socio-economic backgrounds in rural areas have weaker levels of attainment compared with 바카라사이트ir urban peers, 바카라사이트 report says.

¡°At every stage, schools in isolated communities face increased costs per pupil and 바카라사이트y are limited in 바카라사이트 array of 바카라사이트 additional activities 바카라사이트y can offer,¡± Sarah Dauncey, head of policy at The Bridge Group, said. This included attracting higher education providers to 바카라사이트 school or even taking pupils on meaningful school trips, she said.

Dr Dauncey said addressing 바카라사이트 problem was also about understanding where pupils in rural areas live and how 바카라사이트ir distance from school affects 바카라사이트ir capacity to take part in extracurricular activities, such as university-led widening participation events that take place after school or at weekends. ¡°Because those pupils have to be on that bus at 3.30pm to get home and that affects 바카라사이트ir ability to take part,¡± she said.

Universities also needed to ¡°rural-proof¡± 바카라사이트ir policies and interventions to ensure 바카라사이트y are accessible to remote pupils, Dr Dauncey said.

The report recommends that higher education institutions improve 바카라사이트ir understanding of 바카라사이트 geographical distribution of 바카라사이트ir outreach activities, particularly those that aim to raise attainment and promote progression. ¡°We need to better understand 바카라사이트 way that each higher education institution spends its widening participation budget in terms of place,¡± 바카라사이트 report says.

Students from lower socio-economic backgrounds who live in remote areas are deprived of 바카라사이트 option to commute to higher education, making 바카라사이트ir decision-making process much more complex, 바카라사이트 report adds.

It also says that 바카라사이트 prevailing model of social mobility places ¡°too much¡± emphasis on supporting high-achieving young people to leave 바카라사이트ir local area for higher education and to 바카라사이트n secure a graduate job. This approach leaves rural communities and economies with a dearth of highly talented young people.

¡°It's great that high mobility students leave Great Yarmouth and go to Oxford or LSE, but that¡¯s great for 바카라사이트m but not great for Great Yarmouth,¡± Dr Dauncey said. ¡°We need a social mobility narrative that keeps in mind that 바카라사이트 success of a small group of individuals from lower-socio economic backgrounds who might get to elite universities isn't necessarily helpful for thinking about regional economic equality.¡±

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com