Minister committed to poorer students

Higher Education minister Shirley-anne Somerville has said she is fully committed to relaxing entry requirements so that poor children can get to university.

In a statement at Holyrood, Ms Somerville said the Scottish Government would implement the recommendation for “contextualised admissions” made by Profes- sor Sir Peter Scott, the Commissioner for Fair Access.

In a report, Sir Peter said universities should be “bolder” and “more radical” in dropping the entry grades needed by young people from deprived areas.

The Scottish Government wants 20 per cent of new entrants to universities and colleges to come from the most deprived parts of Scotland by 2030. Figures for 2015-16 show that 14 per cent of full-time degree entrants to university were from the nation’s most deprived areas, an increase of only 0.1 per cent on the previous year. Addressing MSPS, Ms Somerville said she “fully supported” contextualised admissions and called on universities to take quicker action.

She said: “We need further clarity on when changes will occur. In each of these three areas universities need to pick up the pace.”