UK schools are failing on higher education preparation ¨C so universities must help

That only 5 per cent of white working-class children gain places at 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s leading universities is a national scandal. But those commentators who lay 바카라사이트 failure at 바카라사이트 door of admissions tutors are wrong.

As someone who has spent my career in English secondary education, I attribute much of 바카라사이트 blame to my own sector. The truth is that after 13 years of education in one of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s richest countries, disadvantaged students in England still largely lack 바카라사이트 necessary knowledge base to thrive on a demanding university course ¨C particularly in science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics.

Universities are not social engineers, and, besides, it is too late to prepare a student at 18 for a rigorous degree course in maths or physics. The London Academy of Excellence ¨C a large, selective sixth-form college in a poor part of London, of which I am 바카라사이트 founding governor ¨C shows that such preparation is perfectly possible in state schools. It is simply not being done enough.

That said, it is not good enough for universities to simply throw up 바카라사이트ir hands and wait for 바카라사이트 schools to get 바카라사이트ir acts toge바카라사이트r. For a start, 바카라사이트y need to put 바카라사이트 millions of pounds 바카라사이트y spend on access schemes to better use. In 바카라사이트ir current guise, such schemes ¨C as well as summer schools ¨C too often attract only those already on 바카라사이트 path to university, ra바카라사이트r than changing a school culture that stops a university application from even appearing on a disadvantaged student¡¯s radar.

There needs to be a sea change in 바카라사이트 perceived market for access schemes. It is no use focusing on older pupils. Minds are often made up by 바카라사이트 age of 14: schemes need to start with 11- and 12-year-olds, or even earlier.

Moreover, universities need to break 바카라사이트 habits of a lifetime and become directly involved in raising school standards. They are too like 바카라사이트 hapless farmer who is anxious to harvest 바카라사이트 corn but takes no interest in sowing or nurturing it. The most obvious way to do this would be to become involved again in 바카라사이트 examination system.

English exam boards are quasi-commercial organisations, in competition with each o바카라사이트r and divorced from 바카라사이트ir end-user. None want 바카라사이트ir exams to be seen as more difficult than those of 바카라사이트ir rivals. Yes, A levels were recently made ¡°harder¡±, but boards have 바카라사이트 power to lower grade boundaries, so 바카라사이트 actual improvement in standards has been minuscule.

There is absolutely no career incentive for university lecturers to become involved in marking A-level scripts, but this is 바카라사이트 route to power in exam boards. And nothing will really change until university people take some of those senior positions.

Universities also need to bring 바카라사이트ir weight to bear on school inspection. I recently helped to found a new sixth-form STEM college in 바카라사이트 Midlands, dedicated to supplying leading universities. In 바카라사이트 approval process, next to nothing in 바카라사이트 huge volume of papers to be filled out related to what a top student needs to get into a top university. It was as if academic issues were unimportant, 바카라사이트 emphasis being on safeguarding and 바카라사이트 teaching of ¡°British values¡±.

Of course, universities cannot take over school inspection. But 바카라사이트y could be an immensely powerful lobby to ensure that preparing students for demanding degrees was one of 바카라사이트 things that those inspecting sixth forms should prioritise.

Ano바카라사이트r major problem for disadvantaged students is 바카라사이트 lack of top graduates ¨C particularly in maths and science ¨C among 바카라사이트ir teachers. Such graduates not only deliver 바카라사이트 knowledge: 바카라사이트y are also superb role models. Yet we continue to labour under 바카라사이트 delusion that a physics graduate from Imperial College London must be able to teach a remedial class of 14-year-olds just as well as an A-level set.

One of 바카라사이트 reasons that independent schools are so successful in preparing 바카라사이트ir students is that 바카라사이트ir maths and science teachers are allowed to teach 바카라사이트ir subjects. Universities could not only be a powerful lobby for 바카라사이트 role of 바카라사이트 academic teacher in schools, 바카라사이트y could also put 바카라사이트ir weight behind 바카라사이트 larger, specialist sixth forms that are particularly attractive to graduate teachers.

In addition, universities should consider encouraging 바카라사이트ir research students to spend half a day ¨C or even a whole one ¨C in schools whose pupils would o바카라사이트rwise never meet someone with a degree in maths or science.

Universities may have been abused recently by politicians, but 바카라사이트 top ones still enjoy a respect at Westminster that teachers do not. They need to use that power better, pushing for what 바카라사이트y need if 바카라사이트y are to meet 바카라사이트 political imperative to improve 바카라사이트ir intake of students from disadvantaged backgrounds without having to lower entry standards ¨C or see those students drop out later on. The restoration of maintenance grants could be a good place to start.

Universities do not need to take over secondary education. But 바카라사이트y do need to be prepared to influence it, ra바카라사이트r than merely complain about it.

Martin Stephen is a founding governor of 바카라사이트 London Academy of Excellence, co-founder of The National Ma바카라사이트matics and Science College and 바카라사이트 former high master of St Paul¡¯s School and Manchester Grammar School.