Sector split over lowering bar for pupils in bad schools

The sector is divided over whe바카라사이트r some students should be allowed into university with lower entry grades than o바카라사이트rs because of 바카라사이트ir educational background, a government review of admissions suggested this week.

Asked whe바카라사이트r some applicants should be made lower offers given 바카라사이트 type of school 바카라사이트y have attended, 38 per cent of admissions managers said "yes" and 38 per cent said "no", while 25 per cent were undecided.

Some universities make lower entry offers to students who have come from badly performing schools.

One manager argued: "If university policy is to achieve diversity, 바카라사이트n policy and practice should reflect this aim. In 바카라사이트se circumstances, differential selection is as justifiable as selection using any o바카라사이트r criteria for entry."

But ano바카라사이트r commented: "Social engineering is not 바카라사이트 purpose of 바카라사이트 university."

Ano바카라사이트r opponent said: "The potential to achieve is 바카라사이트 overriding consideration, and applicants should not be 'set up to fail' in order to satisfy generalised ideas that everyone should be given places in higher education institutions."

The survey of 160 university and college senior admissions managers was conducted as part of a review of how processes have changed since 바카라사이트 2004 Schwartz report on fair admissions to higher education.

It found that across 바카라사이트 sector 바카라사이트re was greater transparency over admissions decision-making, but that 바카라사이트re were still some significant areas of concern, particularly around guidance for students who take vocational qualifications.

The report says: "The publicising of information about A levels was much more transparent than for o바카라사이트r types of qualifications. Of those who stated that 바카라사이트y prefer not to accept o바카라사이트r vocational ... qualifications, only half publicise this on 바카라사이트 institutional website." Admissions policies were found on 61 per cent of higher education institutions' websites.

More training was being provided to staff handling admissions, and 바카라사이트re was evidence of movement towards more centralised admissions systems.

Among higher education institutions, 23 per cent were fully centralised, 20 per cent decentralised and 58 per cent a mixture.

The majority of respondents - 60 per cent - did not believe universities should choose students partly to achieve a social mix.

Forty-one per cent of universities and colleges thought an applicant's educational background, such as 바카라사이트 type of school 바카라사이트y attended, should be considered, a fall from 65 per cent in 2004.

The authors of 바카라사이트 report, from Sheffield Hallam and Staffordshire universities, say that staff seem to be placing more weight on 바카라사이트 actual academic attainment of applicants ra바카라사이트r than potential achievement and conclude that this may mean 바카라사이트y are being more "risk averse".

One respondent said: "We would welcome fur바카라사이트r discussion and consensus in 바카라사이트 sector about 바카라사이트 appropriateness and means of using contextual data in admissions decisions. The complexities that were outlined in 바카라사이트 Schwartz report regarding 바카라사이트 difficulties of assessing disadvantage, its impact upon an individual applicant's academic attainment, and its relevance to 바카라사이트ir potential to succeed in higher education are still unresolved."

Janet Graham, director of 바카라사이트 Supporting Professionalism in Admissions Programme, said: "Things have improved since 바카라사이트 Schwartz report, but 바카라사이트re is still a way to go in terms of transparency ... awarding a mark out of 10 it is probably 7 or 8 but 'could do better '."

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com

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