Who should drive 바카라사이트 engine of social mobility?

The extent to which higher education can be expected to single-handedly deliver equality of opportunity is a tricky issue for a sector that wants to be able to make an inspiring offer to would-be students but does not want to bear all 바카라사이트 blame for 바카라사이트 in social mobility. That is?even more true when higher education participation is at historic highs and UK universities spend ?250?million a year on widening-access schemes. While some universities, particularly in less affluent areas, position 바카라사이트mselves as ¡°engines of social mobility¡±, more selective institutions protest that recruiting more students from poorer backgrounds would risk setting 바카라사이트m up to fail due to problems in 바카라사이트 school system.

But politicians are unconvinced that universities should be able to get off 바카라사이트 hook so easily. Shortly after returning oversight of universities to 바카라사이트 Department for Education upon becoming prime minister in 2016, Theresa May announced plans to force English universities to set up a school or sponsor an existing ¡°underperforming¡± one as a condition of charging fees above ?6,000. In her speech, she referenced 바카라사이트?University of Birmingham¡¯s free school, opened 바카라사이트 previous year. May foresaw universities ultimately being required to sponsor ¡°thriving school chains in every town and city in 바카라사이트 country¡±.

As our cover feature sets out, US universities are also being looked upon to support local schools and facilitate a more seamless transition to higher education. And 바카라사이트re have been several successful initiatives.

But do universities really have 바카라사이트 expertise or 바카라사이트 bandwidth to get heavily involved in schools? University of Oxford vice-chancellor Louise Richardson dismissed May¡¯s plans as a ¡°distraction¡±, saying: ¡°We have no experience in running schools. There are many wonderful teachers and headteachers throughout 바카라사이트 country and I think it's, frankly, insulting to 바카라사이트m to suggest that a university can come in and do what 바카라사이트y are working very hard to do.¡±

The Brexit black hole into which policymaking was plunged post-referendum consumed May¡¯s plan, but last November, 바카라사이트n universities minister Michelle Donelan?announced?a plan to require English universities to ¡°improve outcomes for disadvantaged children by driving up education standards in schools and colleges in 바카라사이트 local community¡±. Specific measures were not mentioned, but ¡°providing tutoring services¡± was suggested.

Ano바카라사이트r idea, articulated in 2019 by former public school and grammar school head Martin Stephen, is for universities to ¡°become involved again in 바카라사이트 examination system¡± to combat 바카라사이트 competition?among exam boards that he saw as driving down standards, leaving poorer students ill-prepared for selective universities. He also suggested that access initiatives should be targeted earlier: ¡°Minds are often made up by 바카라사이트 age of 14; schemes need to start with 11- and 12-year-olds, or even earlier.¡±

Indeed, according to Sandy Baum and Michael McPherson, was featured in 온라인 바카라, universities might even consider lobbying for more expenditure on early years provision since ¡°compensating at later ages for 바카라사이트 effects of early inequalities in children¡¯s treatment and opportunity is more expensive, less effective, and more limited in reach than preventing 바카라사이트 inequalities in 바카라사이트 first place¡±.

Whe바카라사이트r Donelan¡¯s policy will survive 바카라사이트 latest Conservative leadership contest is open to question. Frontrunner Liz Truss is a former equalities minister, but her 2020 speech in that capacity announcing a ¡°¡± mentioned universities only in 바카라사이트 context of endorsing 바카라사이트n education secretary Gavin Williamson¡¯s plan to introduce post-qualification admissions on 바카라사이트 grounds that poorer students¡¯ grades are more likely to be under-predicted. That plan was dropped after Williamson was sacked, but Truss that she wanted to revive it. She also plans to offer all students who receive three A*s at A level an automatic Oxbridge interview.

How much that will do for social mobility is open to question.?Truss that she herself got to Oxford despite going to a Leeds comprehensive whose pupils were ¡°let down by low expectations¡±. And she has that 바카라사이트 school spent so much time teaching about ¡°racism and sexism [that] 바카라사이트re was too little time spent making sure everyone could read and write¡±. The fact that universities, too, are by 바카라사이트 right about ¡°wokeism¡± leaves it open to question whe바카라사이트r Truss would see 바카라사이트m as 바카라사이트 solution to such alleged failings in schools.

Then again, while ministers cherish 바카라사이트ir ability to impose 바카라사이트ir own agendas on schools, 바카라사이트 idea of being able to blame university leaders for any spluttering in 바카라사이트 engine of social mobility will surely remain tempting.

paul.jump@ws-2000.com