It began:
The process by which hundreds of thousands of teenagers apply to UK universities favours the rich, the organisation that co-ordinates degree applications has admitted.
In a review of university admissions published on Monday, Ucas acknowledges that the current system gives an unfair advantage to pupils at private schools. These pupils are encouraged by their teachers to apply to institutions well ahead of the official deadline and, for some courses, applying early gives students more of a chance of being offered a conditional place, the review admits.
At present, too many pupils have to apply to universities before they have had time to properly research what and where they want to study, Ucas argues. This favours students whose families are familiar with the university application process and puts the rest at a disadvantage.
The current system also assists pupils whose schools employ tutors who are very familiar with the university applications process, and do not feel intimidated about phoning up an admissions tutor to plead the case of a particular student.It is certainly an advantage to come from a family that is familiar with the university application process, but the arguments here are genuinely puzzling.
Ucas and the Guardian take it for granted that no state school will have teachers who know the most favourable for their pupils to apply to university or who have the confidence to phone an admissions tutor.
I don't believe that this is the case. But if it is, then the fault lies, not with private schools, but with the selection and development of those who work in the state sector. Which make you wonder why the Guardian is tigerish in its defence of the status quo in that sector.
I remember a similar thing with Robert Peston's efforts to get more top speakers into state schools. His comments were something along the lines of "I wanted to even the playing field. Lots of private schools invited me, but no state schools". I hadn't realised that Britain was so unequal that only private school teachers were allowed to invite people to address their pupils.
ReplyDeleteBut a teacher calling from a public (private) school is going to be more used to doing it and have the name of the school to back up anything he says.
ReplyDeleteThe teacher calling from the comp. isn't and won't.
You're the admissions officer at Durham University. Are you going to give the place to the kid from Dulwich College or the kid from Tulse Hill Comprehensive - all things being equal.
No contest.
As for Ken's comment above - I presume Peston would have asked for a fee.
Tulse Hill comprehensive, surely. After all, if all other things are equal you're not going to get hammered in the statistics for taking him/her...
ReplyDelete