A record number of students from disadvantaged areas are securing places at Scottish universities, according to new research, but the increase is not coming at the expense of those from disadvantaged areas. isn't it.
The annual report of the independent advisory body the Fair Access Commission reviews the work being done in Scotland to improve access to higher education for people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
It says that in 2021-22, enrollment from the most deprived areas of Scotland will reach a record high, but students from the most deprived areas remain the largest group, compared to 2013-14. increased by 8.4%.
Currently, 16.5% of higher education entrants are from the most disadvantaged regions, but universities aim to increase this to 20% by 2030.
John McKendrick, whose role is to hold ministers to account when working towards the goal of fair access, said: “Scotland continues to make progress in promoting fair access to higher education, but progress is slowing. There are signs that the pace is slowing down.”
“The point of this initiative is not to expand access per se, but rather to achieve social justice, where able people from the most disadvantaged backgrounds are excluded from higher education because of the way they access it. Traditionally managed. ”
Professor McKendrick, who is based at Glasgow Caledonian University, makes 20 recommendations and outlines 10 priorities for his research in the year ahead.
These recommendations include: Replace overlapping individual agency goals with equal access commitments that require each agency to advance. The Scottish Government should consider increasing the powers of the Secretary, who is responsible for advising on fair access to higher education across the board. and expanding the scope of fair access to include postgraduate apprenticeships, part-time undergraduate study, and postgraduate study.
Professor McKendrick said the goal of widening access to university had been pursued in Scotland for many years, but some Scottish institutions were more focused on this challenge than others. .
He said all higher education institutions in Scotland had made some progress in promoting fair access, but there was room to achieve more.
“We also acknowledge the challenges faced by many people from the most disadvantaged communities seeking higher education: cost-of-living pressures on children, family poverty, and poverty-related achievement gaps in school. “We must also recognize that it continues to be unacceptably high, despite good intentions to strive towards reduction, if not eradication,” he added.
His priorities for 2024 include looking at what can be done to improve retention rates for students from disadvantaged areas and promoting shared responsibility for achieving fair access in Scotland. This includes engaging with a wider range of stakeholders.
patrick.jack@timeshighereducation.com
