University access plan for deprived areas boosts private school pupils

Glasgow to refine admissions process after independent sector students win places

ALEADING Scottish university has recruited students from private schools under a scheme set up to widen access to pupils from deprived communities. Glasgow University said two of the students it had offered places to under the initiative came from schools in the independent sector.

University sources contacted the Sunday Herald to raise concerns over the issue, arguing that such schemes should not apply to pupils from private schools.

“People at the university have voiced displeasure at this, but the word from those in charge is that it will increase numbers, which will in turn give a better chance at gaining higher funding,” the source said.

For data- protection reasons, Glasgow University cannot provide information on whether the pupils were given financial support to attend a private school. However, a spokesman said it would be discriminatory to exclude pupils from poor backgrounds simply because they went to a fee-paying school.

He stressed the situation had only arisen in two cases out of a total of 187 extra widening access pupils.

“The offers were based on the home addresses of prospective students being in a multiple deprivation postcode,” he said.

“Two of these offers were made to applicants who attend private schools, but both of whom are resident in multiple deprivation areas.

“To exclude them from the process because of the school they attend, rather than the area they live in, would, in our view, be discriminatory.”

The spokesman said officials would refine the admissions process in future to ensure more information about applicants was used rather than just their postcode.

“This was not possible this year due to the time constraints and the best non-discriminatory approach was adopted,” he added.

Last night, the University and College Union questioned whether the cases represented good use of the additional government money.

Mary Senior, UCU Scottish offi- cial, said: “It is surprising and concerning if widening access funds are being allocated to those who have already had the helping hand of a private education. Widening access funds should support those less likely to go to university, to give them that step up.”

However, John Edward, director of the Scottish Council of Independent Schools, backed the university.

He said: “Private schools have been working hard to extend the range of bursaries they offer and to ensure their pupils represent a full cross-section of society.

“People should not assume they know what background pupils from private school come from, and it would be discriminatory not to include such pupils in these [university access] schemes.”

It is concerning if access funds are allocated to those who have already had the helping hand of a private education

Robin Parker, president of NUS Scotland, said: “It is not surprising, because there are small numbers of students from the most deprived communities that attend private schools each year.”

The situation arose after the Scottish Government provided an extra £10 million in 2013-14 to pay for additional places – including more than 700 on widening access schemes.

In recognition of its previous excellent record on widening access, Glasgow University was awarded funding for 187 additional places.

Under the scheme, offers are made to students from the 40% most deprived areas in Scotland, identified by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, known as MD40. Glasgow University anticipates that more than 25% of its 2013 Scottish undergraduate intake will come from MD40 postcodes.