Page 15 - Gi flipbook June/July 2018

Call for new

Oxbridge colleges for

disadvantaged students

A NEW GENERATION of households are more
Oxford and Cambridge likely to reach the most
colleges should be opened prestigious institutions, Neither Oxford or Cambridge has
to create more places for white working-class boys plans to open more colleges
disadvantaged youngsters, rarely make it to higher
says a report into widening education and there is a big
access to university. black attainment gap,” said A spokeswoman from Education, said: “Our
The Higher Education HEPI Director Nick Hillman. the University of Oxford biggest problem at
Policy Institute (HEPI) has Entry to Oxford and said there were “no Cambridge is convincing
published ideas from MPs, Cambridge is described plans to expand overall people they should apply
think tanks and academics as “hyper-selective” and undergraduate numbers or and making it clear to them
to make university more the report suggests a create new colleges”. that they are welcome here.
inclusive. practical response would Oxford’s colleges already “What message about
The report wants more be to create more places, face “major challenges” inclusivity would be sent
Oxbridge places, as other in the way that many other over accommodation out by setting up a new
universities have expanded, universities have expanded. and the university runs college for this purpose?”
according to the BBC. “If existing colleges are many “initiatives which Conor Ryan, of the
However, Oxford and reluctant to increase their are expanding the number Sutton Trust social mobility
Cambridge both said they undergraduate entry, then it of students from under- charity, suggests changing
had “no plans” to create is time to consider founding represented backgrounds”, the admissions process so
new colleges. a number of entirely said the spokeswoman. students apply after they
The report, Reaching the new Oxbridge colleges The University of know their exam results,
Parts of Society Universities to boost the number of Cambridge also said it rather than relying on
Have Missed, makes students from under- did not have any plans predicted grades.
recommendations for represented groups at our to significantly increase “Bright but poor students
tackling unequal access to oldest, richest and most undergraduate numbers. consistently have their
higher education. prestigious universities,” Prof Graham Virgo, grades underestimated,”
“People from rich said Mr Hillman. Pro-Vice Chancellor for said Mr Ryan. ■

Three years on campus ‘should not

be norm’ in England, says minister

UNDERGRADUATE degrees and degree opportunities were required Sam
DEGREES where students apprenticeships. to increase higher education Gyimah,
live away from home for “For universities to still engagement, added Mr MP
three years “should not be carry on as if we are still Gyimah.
the norm”, the Universities in 1965 is not acceptable,” “As you increase the
Minister has said. said Mr Gyimah, adding number of students who is expected to open in
Giving evidence to that there “should be more potentially go to university, Hereford in 2020, which
the House of Commons dynamism in the market”. you need different solutions will not require students
Education Committee’s “I would not use the term for different types of to have physics and
inquiry into value for money ‘outdated’, but I think the students,” he said. maths A-levels in a bid to
at universities, Sam Gyimah norm of the undergraduate TES reports that Mr encourage more women
said that he considered experience should not be Gyimah, who was appointed into engineering.
the traditional three-year three years on campus [and Minister for Universities “I want a higher education
degree taken by most UK living] away from home,” and Science in January, said sector which is more
undergraduates “quite an said Mr Gyimah, who that he was “encouraged” inclusive… and a system
old model” and that he described the UK sector as by innovative practice which is more responsive to
wanted universities to “very monolithic” and “not due to be adopted at new students,” he said, although
be more “fleet of foot” very joined up”. providers such as the New he admitted that there
by offering alternative With roughly 50 per Model in Technology and was much “good practice
qualifications, such as cent of young people now Engineering (NMITE), the not acknowledged” in
intensive two-year honours attending university, new engineering university that universities. ■

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News.indd 10 17/05/2018 13:50