Figures show drop in state-educated uni students
The government has said it is “disappointed” with new figures showing the proportion of students from disadvantaged backgrounds going to university has fallen.
Figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa) show just 28.2 per cent of young full-time students heading to university in 2004-05 were from lower socioeconomic classes, down from 28.6 per cent the previous year.
Just 86.7 per cent were from state schools, down from 86.8 per cent, a trend shown particularly in the top universities – at Oxford, just 53.4 per cent of students were from state schools, down 0.4 per cent and far below its target of 74.6 per cent.
At Cambridge, only 56.8 per cent of young full-time students had been educated in the state system, down 0.1 per cent and a long way from its benchmark of about 75 per cent.
The government is spending £300 million on initiatives to widen access to university, and has a goal of getting 50 per cent of young people into higher education by 2010.
But new figures from Ucas, also published today, show a 3.5 per cent decrease in the number of students applying for higher education courses this autumn. The current participation rate among young people is 42.5 per cent.
Higher education minister Bill Rammell said he was disappointed by today’s figures, although he noted that the percentages of mature and part-time students from disadvantaged backgrounds had increased.
“Although over the last five years we have seen some overall increases from these groups, the percentages have fallen from last year which is disappointing,” he said.
“The government is determined to do everything possible to make further progress and widen participation.”
But he dismissed the fall in university applications for this autumn, saying it was “not unexpected” given the record increase of 8.2 per cent last year, and saying applications in England were still 4.8 per cent above the corresponding figure in 2004.
“All young people with the academic potential should have the opportunity to benefit from higher education, regardless of their social background, and we are committed to removing any barriers in their way,” he said.
However, Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman Sarah Teather said the introduction of top-up fees of up to £3,000 this autumn was clearly behind the drop in university applications.
“The government doesn’t seem to be taking the long-term consequences of their tuition fees policy seriously,” she said.
Universities UK, which represents higher education institutions, said the Hesa performance indicators were useful but only gave a limited picture – one of the major barriers to greater participation was the lack of people staying at school after 16.
“UK universities are already engaged in a wide range of successful initiatives to encourage more applications from candidates with no family experience of higher education,” she continued.
“These initiatives – which include a wide variety of different outreach projects – are making a difference but the figures are not going to change overnight.”
