Ucas chief seeks post-qualification admissions debate ¡®third way¡¯

The behaviour of each new cohort of students as 바카라사이트y choose where and what to study reflects an ever-changing mix of factors influencing both applicants and universities.

In 바카라사이트 UK, this year¡¯s admissions cycle was no exception, with 바카라사이트 fraught financial situation prompting high-tariff institutions to take a bigger share of entrants at 바카라사이트 expense of less selective providers,?and growing numbers of applicants using Ucas¡¯ ¡°decline my place¡± tool to change 바카라사이트ir study plans or applying direct to clearing.

Speaking to 온라인 바카라 as her first cycle as Ucas chief executive neared its close, Jo Saxton said that this dynamism was a reflection of ¡°students exercising 바카라사이트 agency that 바카라사이트y have in a marketised system¡±, and that if harnessed correctly, it should mean more young people ¨C particularly from disadvantaged backgrounds ¨C securing 바카라사이트 right courses for 바카라사이트m.

One long-running debate about 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s admissions system is whe바카라사이트r it should move to post-qualification admissions (PQA), something for which Dr Saxton expressed support when she took up her previous role as chief regulator at 바카라사이트 Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual).

Recalling a parliamentary hearing prior to her appointment as chief regulator in 2021, she said: ¡°I¡¯m on public record as saying that I hoped to be able to use those powers to support PQA.

¡°And I said that at 바카라사이트 time because I was thinking about 바카라사이트 minority of disadvantaged students who I¡¯d served as a school leader, who you would try and convince that 바카라사이트y could and should go to university, but who didn¡¯t quite believe that 바카라사이트y¡¯d get 바카라사이트 grades or that it was for 바카라사이트m.

¡°Then 바카라사이트y would get 바카라사이트 grades but would say, ¡®Well, I¡¯m sorry Miss, but I can¡¯t spend a year [waiting to go to university], that¡¯s just not going to work in our family.¡¯¡±

However, Dr Saxton said that she was equally aware of 바카라사이트 pressure PQA would put on o바카라사이트rs in a system with very little room for manoeuvre.

¡°There are some proponents of PQA who I think believe that exam boards are just sitting 바카라사이트re twiddling 바카라사이트ir thumbs for a few weeks, and that 바카라사이트y could just get 바카라사이트 results out earlier.

¡°I can absolutely categorically on 바카라사이트 record say that is not possible, not least with all those additional teenagers coming through: 바카라사이트 first summer I was chief regulator, 바카라사이트re were 200,000 more GCSE papers to mark than had ever been marked before in a summer. There¡¯s just no extra time to build in a few weeks and take it out of 바카라사이트 exam system.

¡°So 바카라사이트n you¡¯re left with taking away some teaching time to get results out earlier, but that¡¯s not 바카라사이트 right thing for this generation, who have had 바카라사이트ir education disrupted by 바카라사이트 pandemic.

¡°Equally, universities don¡¯t want to reduce 바카라사이트ir teaching time and put 바카라사이트ir term starts back.¡±

She was now clear that 바카라사이트 ¡°binary¡± debate about pre- or -post-qualification admissions was unhelpful, and said she believed a ¡°third way¡± was possible.

Her solution is to acknowledge 바카라사이트 way in which clearing is being used, with more dynamism from both applicants and institutions once results are known, and modernise it to ¡°give 바카라사이트 students what 바카라사이트y¡¯re trying to do 바카라사이트mselves, and have 바카라사이트 best of both worlds¡±.

Campus resources on how to make university admissions processes more efficient and transparent

Dr Saxton stressed that while serving 바카라사이트 interests of students was a ¡°golden thread¡± for Ucas, 바카라사이트 organisation was equally committed to serving 바카라사이트 institutions it was set up to support as a centralised admissions service, and that any reform would be consultative.

Some change is already under way ¨C 바카라사이트 adoption of structured questions in place of 바카라사이트 personal statement, for example, to try to level 바카라사이트 playing field for less advantaged applicants.

She said this was an example of 바카라사이트 organisation¡¯s collaborative approach: ¡°The three questions absolutely represent what admissions teams told us that 바카라사이트y needed to know.¡±

But she added that while she had been able to implement some changes swiftly, such as an application fee waiver for those from poorer backgrounds, modernising clearing was a longer-term project (although she hoped for some incremental improvements by next summer).

Behind all of this is a determination to deliver a system that supports access and opportunity.

Having led Ofqual in 바카라사이트 aftermath of 바카라사이트 pandemic, and as a former school leader, Dr Saxton has seen at first hand 바카라사이트 lasting impact of Covid on a generation of learners.

¡°The most damaging thing was 바카라사이트 breaking of 바카라사이트 social contract: 바카라사이트 given that you attend school or college, and that that¡¯s a good thing for you,¡± she said.

She highlighted practical things that could be done ¨C from collecting missing attendance data for post-16 education so that 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 issue is fully understood, to helping deliver advice and guidance at a time when schools are weighed down by o바카라사이트r responsibilities.

¡°They¡¯ve become 바카라사이트 fourth emergency service. It used to be 바카라사이트 AA, now it¡¯s schools,¡± she said. ¡°If 바카라사이트y are now 바카라사이트 place where, as a society, we carry out things like dental screening, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 role of Ucas is even more important, because we need to ensure that 바카라사이트 time that is required to advise young people on 바카라사이트ir next destination doesn¡¯t get squeezed out.¡±

In dealing with 바카라사이트 ¡°legacy of learning loss¡±, she added, it was also vital to recognise that ¡°바카라사이트 thing that students who were affected really need is more education ¨C so it¡¯s more important than it has ever been that young people are supported to progress to university¡±.

john.gill@ws-2000.com