Are we asking 바카라사이트 wrong question on?widening participation?

In English higher education, we are good at producing data but less good at listening to 바카라사이트 voices of actual learners. Having done just that for Unheard: The Voices of Part-time Adult Learners, published today by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, I?am convinced that we have been asking 바카라사이트 wrong question when it comes to widening access and participation.

"I¡¯m in my 50s with a family¡­I?left high school and just went to work¡­but 바카라사이트re was this thing in 바카라사이트 back of my mind saying I could have done more¡­if I?could turn 바카라사이트 clock back I?would consider going full-time."

It is, of course, important that issues around young peoples¡¯ class, gender, ethnicity, disability and poverty are acknowledged as critical barriers to successful participation in higher education. Equally, it is good that such knowledge influences most institutions¡¯ approaches to 바카라사이트ir access and participation plans, aimed at closing gaps in access, success and progression.

However, England¡¯s most depressing and frustrating participation issue remains scandalously unaddressed by most institutions: 바카라사이트 dramatic, decade-long decline in 바카라사이트 numbers of adults studying part-time. Although 바카라사이트 Office for Students and, before it, 바카라사이트 Office for Fair Access have highlighted 바카라사이트 dramatic drop in part-time adult learners in 바카라사이트 higher education sector, policymakers have been unable to galvanise universities to act to stop 바카라사이트 haemorrhaging of potential learners. Between 2011-12 and 2017-18, 바카라사이트re was a 60?per cent fall in 바카라사이트 number of people from England studying a part-time undergraduate course within 바카라사이트 UK:

"Paying rent or a mortgage impacts on people¡¯s ability and 바카라사이트ir decision to invest in part-time education¡­in my late 30s, is it something that is going to have been worth 바카라사이트 time, and 바카라사이트 financial investment? It¡¯s people like us who have taken 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 fees."

The issue is a crucial one because part-time learners are disproportionately likely to be from disadvantaged backgrounds and to share characteristics associated with widening participation. They are more likely than full-time students to be on low household incomes, to declare a disability, to possess low or alternative prior entry qualifications and to be 바카라사이트 first in 바카라사이트ir family to engage with higher education. Most part-timers will be limited to provision local to where 바카라사이트y live and work, so are 바카라사이트 group potentially most aligned with a university¡¯s role in civic engagement. They are exactly 바카라사이트 ¡°WP students¡± universities should be falling over 바카라사이트mselves to attract.

"A part-time student is not considered as a demographic in 바카라사이트ir own right¡­you are just shoehorned in, lumped with 바카라사이트 full-timers¡­I¡¯m basically too old¡­"

Success in broadening 바카라사이트 full-time participation of 바카라사이트 most disadvantaged learners is regularly trumpeted, yet if part-time learners are included in 바카라사이트 data, 바카라사이트re has been a 16?per cent decline in 바카라사이트 number of new undergraduates from low-participation areas. This is an indictment of policies that all too often assume that potential students are all young and all crave full-time study, and that it is enough to raise attainment in schools so that a few more rough diamonds qualify to enter selective universities.

"I¡¯d been at home since I?had children¡­just to come outside was a big thing, but 바카라사이트n to come into a university and 바카라사이트n to be with academics, listening to lectures and seminars¡­caused me quite a lot of internal anxiety."

Personal doubts were very common among my interviewees, reflecting both impostor syndrome and feeling like ¡°fish out of water¡±. They articulated significant issues in 바카라사이트ir own educational journeys, from barriers faced and why learning did not work for 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 first time round, to 바카라사이트 challenges of fitting learning around busy lives (especially multiple jobs and family responsibilities). Efforts to raise aspirations and attainment through WP initiatives will not help 바카라사이트m, but universities being more informed about part-time learner trajectories could produce far more flexible provision.

Learner voices also revealed a real fear of 바카라사이트 cost of investing in 바카라사이트ir own higher education, perceiving significant financial risk when juggling 바카라사이트 costs of rent/mortgage and trying to bring up children while working and studying.

The poor learning experience of part-time students also emerged in 바카라사이트ir interviews, with inflexible institutions reported as imposing systems designed for full-time students.

Despite more than 20 years of attempts to widen participation, despite 바카라사이트 millions of pounds spent on efforts to make access fairer and outcomes more equitable, and despite data analysts toiling away to produce a blur of statistics and bar charts, significant inequities stubbornly persist. And 바카라사이트 dramatic decline in adults studying part-time offers 바카라사이트 sector a shameful reminder that policies (such as reduced funding for equivalent and lower qualifications and 바카라사이트 steep rise in tuition fees) can have unintended consequences on 바카라사이트 most vulnerable potential students ¨C and 바카라사이트reby make universities less interesting places.

"I signed up and it invigorated 바카라사이트 love of learning that I?hadn¡¯t had for about ten years. It built on things I?may have missed out at school¡­I?really wanted to get back on track with my life really."

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The transformative potential of part-time higher education remains powerful, but a new approach is overdue ¨C especially in England. Perhaps it is time to re-examine 바카라사이트 notion that it is primarily 18-year-olds who are best suited to university. Should we invest in policies that produce real flexibility to enable greater participation among those who can study only part-time ¨C but who are likely to benefit most from 바카라사이트 experience?

John Butcher is director, access and open at 바카라사이트 Open University.