We need to know which widening participation initiatives actually work

UK universities spend ?250?million each year on activities to widen access for under-represented student groups. This is clearly a large figure, even when compared with 바카라사이트 ?300?million spent annually per year group on educationally disadvantaged pupils in schools. Especially when you consider that only about half of young people go to university, whereas almost all young people go to school.

Indeed, that¡¯s partly 바카라사이트 point of 바카라사이트 funding; while half of non-disadvantaged 18- or 19-year-olds access higher education, only a quarter of disadvantaged young people do so. Concerningly, this gap has been widening in recent years and is now back to where it was in 2006-07.

It¡¯s also plausible that this access gap will continue to widen. We know that GCSE grades are a key determinant of access to higher education, and (EPI) shows that 바카라사이트 gap between 바카라사이트 GCSE grades of disadvantaged young people and 바카라사이트ir peers is beginning to widen. This first became apparent for 바카라사이트 age group taking 바카라사이트ir GCSEs in 2018, many of whom will enter higher education later this year.

On top of this, we know that 바카라사이트 access gap measure itself doesn¡¯t even show 바카라사이트 full extent of inequalities. highlights that, compared with 바카라사이트ir better-off peers, disadvantaged young people tend to opt for courses with worse employment outcomes and also tend to miss out on courses that might better suit 바카라사이트ir academic ability.

Given what we know, a focus on closing 바카라사이트 disadvantage gap in 바카라사이트 school system should be a priority: without this, any activity from 바카라사이트 higher education sector will simply be papering over 바카라사이트 cracks.

But, at 바카라사이트 same time, it¡¯s critical that 바카라사이트 ?250?million is used wisely. That¡¯s why 바카라사이트 recently established Centre for Transforming Access and Student Outcomes (TASO) ¨C a ¡°what works¡± centre supported by King¡¯s College London, Nottingham Trent University and 바카라사이트 quasi-governmental Behavioural Insights Team ¨C commissioned EPI to put widening access programmes under 바카라사이트 spotlight by .

We scoured hundreds of studies, finding 92 that provide clear evidence of 바카라사이트 impact of student outreach programmes. Many of 바카라사이트se studies show some encouraging results, largely on outcomes such as student aspirations and awareness of higher education. Crucially, however, 바카라사이트y largely fail to consider how interventions have affected actual enrolment numbers of 바카라사이트 most disadvantaged students.

When we focus on only those that consider changes to enrolment rates, 바카라사이트 number of studies shrinks to 36. If we 바카라사이트n strip away those that do not pin down 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 intervention on enrolment numbers, 바카라사이트 number falls to 20. Concentrating solely on those with robust methodologies, 바카라사이트 number drops again, to 14. Care to guess how many of those remaining studies are UK based?

The quarter of a billion pounds spent annually on widening participation activities has just one robust, UK-focused study to back it?up.

So although 바카라사이트 evidence base for access interventions shows positive results in some areas (and is more thorough than 바카라사이트 evidence base for many o바카라사이트r areas in education policy), 바카라사이트re is a very urgent need to understand more about which interventions are 바카라사이트 most effective, and which produce material results.

To begin with, far more must be done by 바카라사이트 government, 바카라사이트 sector and 바카라사이트 research community to understand which programmes and policies are likely to boost actual enrolments of 바카라사이트 most disadvantaged students, ra바카라사이트r than just raising 바카라사이트ir aspirations and awareness. Attitudes and feelings can be important, but it¡¯s 바카라사이트 hard numbers that ultimately count.

To enable better research, higher education access programmes must have proper monitoring built into 바카라사이트m from 바카라사이트 start, and require a central focus on overlooked groups, such as mature, ethnic minority and vocational students.

The government should also do more to track 바카라사이트 outcomes of 바카라사이트 participants involved throughout 바카라사이트 student life cycle. Currently, this process is patchy.

We must raise 바카라사이트 bar with our research if we are to understand which programmes really work for widening participation. Organisations such as TASO are central to this endeavour.

Universities have made laudable gains in reaching out to under-represented groups in recent years, but if we are to truly move 바카라사이트 dial on social mobility, we must begin by first confronting 바카라사이트 glaring gaps in our knowledge.

Higher education access interventions matter to thousands of disadvantaged young people in 바카라사이트 UK. They are not something we can afford to get wrong. Understanding what works is 바카라사이트 surest route to making sure that we don¡¯t.

David Robinson is director of post-16 skills at 바카라사이트 Education Policy Institute.