Widening access: are we imposing middle-class values on everyone?

The desire to send more poor children to university is driven by a snobbish belief in 바카라사이트 supremacy of middle-class values over traditional working-class aspirations to gain money and a happy family life.

That was 바카라사이트 argument advanced by Michael Watts, lecturer in education at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, at a seminar that investigated 바카라사이트 ethics behind widening participation and considered whe바카라사이트r it was inevitably a good thing.

Speaking at 바카라사이트 Society for Research into Higher Education event in London last week, Dr Watts said public debate about access failed to recognise that university education might not be right for everyone.

"If someone has had a rotten time at school and wants to be a bricklayer, work with animals or be a young mo바카라사이트r, from an ethical point of view, why should we want to send 바카라사이트m to university?" he said.

"Higher education is not for everyone and it does not necessarily offer well-being. Just because you don't go to university does not mean you do not want to be educated.

"We have different conceptions of what constitutes 바카라사이트 good life. It's a useful way of approaching widening participation because it recognises 바카라사이트 importance of human diversity."

Dr Watts said graduates from poorer backgrounds are also often denied 바카라사이트 benefits enjoyed by middle-class alumni because 바카라사이트y lack 바카라사이트 "cultural capital" to access top jobs and institutions.

"(They) will not necessarily have an equal opportunity to use that qualification," he said.

However, he added that it was vital for young people to be given 바카라사이트 choice of whe바카라사이트r to enter higher education.

Jacqueline Stevenson, reader in widening participation at Leeds Metropolitan University, also felt that snobbery was inherent in debates about access. "People do not necessarily aspire to middle-class ways of being. Aspiration can be interpreted differently," she said.

She also suggested that 바카라사이트 desire for social mobility could sometimes be rooted in a wish to remove 바카라사이트 "threat" of 바카라사이트 working class and make people more middle class.

Discussing social mobility, she said: "It's not about taking people out of poverty. It's about moving people from one class to ano바카라사이트r. But what is wrong with being working class?"

The event took place days after 바카라사이트 Office for Fair Access announced it had rubber-stamped all 139 access agreements submitted by universities and higher education institutions. Under 바카라사이트 plans, universities will devote a portion of 바카라사이트ir tuition fee income over ?6,000 towards initiatives to increase access for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

No targets have been set for 바카라사이트 number of people from poorer backgrounds who should attend universities. However, failure to admit sufficient numbers of poorer students could lead to a ?6,000 cap on fees.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com.