‘Oxbridge diversity plans will hit middle-class students’
OXFORD and Cambridge have set out plans to increase student intake from poor backgrounds, as private school chiefs warn over “robbing” pupils of places based on social class.
Oxford has pledged to cut the ratio of students from wealthy areas versus those from more deprived areas from 15-1 to 8-1 within five years. Cambridge has committed to cutting the ratio from 14-1 to 6.7-1 in the same period.
As neither university is planning a major expansion in student numbers, the higher education watchdog said the targets would “inevitably” lead to fewer middle-class pupils winning places.
The Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference, representing the leading public schools including Eton, Harrow and Winchester, last night urged universities not to reject candidates based on family wealth.
“Care is needed in starting actively to discriminate against individual young people on the basis of the class they were born into,” said Mike Buchanan, the HMC’S executive director. “We urge the Government to enable universities and colleges to expand to
take as many truly suitable students as necessary rather than rob some students of a future to award it to others.
“Universities should also look at the increasing numbers of high-paying international students they are accepting, rather than deny places to UK students based on their class.”
Mr Buchanan said that universities should take a more sophisticated approach to diversity, rather than merely discriminating against students based on their school. “Independent schools play an important role in getting disadvantaged students into university. Not all state-educated students are disadvantaged,” he said.
In targets submitted to the Office for Students, Oxford said it intended to increase the proportion of students from the poorest postcodes from 3.7 to 7 per cent in five years, while Cambridge planned to go from 4.8 to 7 per cent.
Oxford and Cambridge are introducing initiatives to meet the targets. Oxford
has a new summer school to help disadvantaged students get up to speed before they start, as well as a foundation year for applicants whose A-levels fall short. Cambridge has earmarked places for disadvantaged students who achieve better than expected A-levels.
It comes as the higher education regulator publishes a report about the tough targets universities have set for boosting disadvantaged students.
Chris Millward, director for fair access and participation at the OFS, said if universities do not meet their pledges, the regulator will decide whether they have done enough to do so. Universities found to have failed to improve access can face sanctions, including fines.
Chris Skidmore, the universities minister, said it is “damning” that large gaps remain between disadvantaged students and their peers, adding: “We cannot let this talent be wasted”.
Oxford said its admissions process was designed to identify “academic potential and passion” for a subject.