Posted by: Martin Bojam
on Jan 29, 2010
Wonderful to hear Steve Smith on the radio yesterday morning making absolutely clear (“The evidence shows however that whatever university you go to - your life chances will significantly improve. One of the great vehicles for social mobility in the UK is going to university.") that universities confer on their students benefits well beyond vocational training and really can and do transform lives.
The reason for the interview on Radio 4 was the publication of the HEFCE report on trends in university participation in 18 and 19 year olds over the past decade and a half. Perhaps counter intuitively, given the introduction in tuition fees in the last few years, the report found that youngsters in the poorest areas are 30% more likely to go to university than 5 years ago – and whilst it is certainly true that a much higher proportion of the wealthier enjoy a tertiary education, there is at last some real movement in… widening participation.
