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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/scotland-blog/2012/nov/27/scotland-elite-universities-poorstudents
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| Demonised or deserving: are Scottish universities doing enough to attract poorest pupils? | Demonised or deserving: are Scottish universities doing enough to attract poorest pupils? |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| The debate over access to university for pupils from deprived backgrounds has sharply intensified after St Andrews university – Scotland's oldest university and the one singled out for criticism, has complained its sector is being "demonised" over its access strategies. | The debate over access to university for pupils from deprived backgrounds has sharply intensified after St Andrews university – Scotland's oldest university and the one singled out for criticism, has complained its sector is being "demonised" over its access strategies. |
| The dispute ties in with a rumbling conflict between the universities and the National Union of Students and Scottish government about their overall funding. NUS Scotland argues their status as "elite" institutions identifies a core complaint; they are elitist by ambition and by design. | The dispute ties in with a rumbling conflict between the universities and the National Union of Students and Scottish government about their overall funding. NUS Scotland argues their status as "elite" institutions identifies a core complaint; they are elitist by ambition and by design. |
| Too few pupils from poor backgrounds are getting places at the top universities, say NUS Scotland. Not because they are too stupid or unschooled, but because the universities do too little to help them: only 14 kids from the poorest 20% of Scottish neighbourhoods made it to St Andrews last year – a low 2.7% of its overall intake. | Too few pupils from poor backgrounds are getting places at the top universities, say NUS Scotland. Not because they are too stupid or unschooled, but because the universities do too little to help them: only 14 kids from the poorest 20% of Scottish neighbourhoods made it to St Andrews last year – a low 2.7% of its overall intake. |
| And having resisted pressure (which has temporarily died down) from the likes of St Andrews and Edinburgh to reconsider its ban on graduate contributions or tuition fees, the Scottish government is aligning itself with NUS Scotland. | And having resisted pressure (which has temporarily died down) from the likes of St Andrews and Edinburgh to reconsider its ban on graduate contributions or tuition fees, the Scottish government is aligning itself with NUS Scotland. |
| Mike Russell, the Scottish education secretary, is demanding more active and effective action to widen access, to increase the numbers of poorer kids at top colleges. Doing so has effectively been made a condition of increased government funding of £135m between 2011/12 and 2014/15. | Mike Russell, the Scottish education secretary, is demanding more active and effective action to widen access, to increase the numbers of poorer kids at top colleges. Doing so has effectively been made a condition of increased government funding of £135m between 2011/12 and 2014/15. |
| So Edinburgh, Glasgow and St Andrews are responding. The biggest of the two – Edinburgh and Glasgow - are doing so relatively quietly. And their targets are modest, to say the least. | So Edinburgh, Glasgow and St Andrews are responding. The biggest of the two – Edinburgh and Glasgow - are doing so relatively quietly. And their targets are modest, to say the least. |
| Chris Marshall, the Scotsman's education correspondent, reports that Edinburgh will increase its pupils from the poorest areas by 50%, or an extra 45 places, by 2016; Glasgow, the university in the region with the greatest poverty levels, is promising a 1% increase of its total intake. | Chris Marshall, the Scotsman's education correspondent, reports that Edinburgh will increase its pupils from the poorest areas by 50%, or an extra 45 places, by 2016; Glasgow, the university in the region with the greatest poverty levels, is promising a 1% increase of its total intake. |
| But St Andrews is openly furious about the attacks on its policies. It believes it has been unjustifiably singled out. | But St Andrews is openly furious about the attacks on its policies. It believes it has been unjustifiably singled out. |
| Stephen Magee, its vice principal for admissions, says the university has been "contextualising" its admission criteria – that is giving extra weight to students from poorer backgrounds – for seven years, and already has significant bursary and scholarship schemes. | Stephen Magee, its vice principal for admissions, says the university has been "contextualising" its admission criteria – that is giving extra weight to students from poorer backgrounds – for seven years, and already has significant bursary and scholarship schemes. |
| In a bluntly-worded statement issued on Tuesday morning, Magee said: | In a bluntly-worded statement issued on Tuesday morning, Magee said: |
| We have a choice – we can continue to beat up our leading universities for failing to admit more kids from our most deprived areas, or we can start, without shame or blame, to ask if perhaps there is something going wrong throughout the whole equation. | We have a choice – we can continue to beat up our leading universities for failing to admit more kids from our most deprived areas, or we can start, without shame or blame, to ask if perhaps there is something going wrong throughout the whole equation. |
It argues that data uncovered by a Guardian investigation in October proves that very few Scottish school kids from the poorest areas actually make the grade: in 2011, only 220 teenagers from the poorest 20% of neighbourhoods across Scotland got the three As at Highers needed as the basic entry grade for St Andrews. | It argues that data uncovered by a Guardian investigation in October proves that very few Scottish school kids from the poorest areas actually make the grade: in 2011, only 220 teenagers from the poorest 20% of neighbourhoods across Scotland got the three As at Highers needed as the basic entry grade for St Andrews. |
| The data we asked for, using the Scottish government's index of multiple deprivation (SIMD), established that only one in 40 teenagers (or 2.5% of 8,872 pupils) from the poorest 20% of areas (SIMD20 areas) got three As. By comparison, the Scottish average figure for all 5th year pupils was nearer 10%. | The data we asked for, using the Scottish government's index of multiple deprivation (SIMD), established that only one in 40 teenagers (or 2.5% of 8,872 pupils) from the poorest 20% of areas (SIMD20 areas) got three As. By comparison, the Scottish average figure for all 5th year pupils was nearer 10%. |
| That ratio has barely changed: in 2007, only 2% of kids from SIMD20 backgrounds got three As. Educationalists, including Professor Lindsay Paterson at Edinburgh university, argue that the only effective way to raise this group's grades is to start at nursery level: giving them far greater support and nurturing at the earliest possible age. | That ratio has barely changed: in 2007, only 2% of kids from SIMD20 backgrounds got three As. Educationalists, including Professor Lindsay Paterson at Edinburgh university, argue that the only effective way to raise this group's grades is to start at nursery level: giving them far greater support and nurturing at the earliest possible age. |
| St Andrews states this data undermines the NUS Scotland position that the elite universities are ignoring poor kids: the NUS data in June only looked at children with three Higher passes, without focusing on their grades. | St Andrews states this data undermines the NUS Scotland position that the elite universities are ignoring poor kids: the NUS data in June only looked at children with three Higher passes, without focusing on their grades. |
| St Andrews has tough entry requirements, as will some of the most prestigious and competitive courses at Edinburgh and Glasgow, such as medicine. For those courses, even getting three As at Highers may not be enough. | St Andrews has tough entry requirements, as will some of the most prestigious and competitive courses at Edinburgh and Glasgow, such as medicine. For those courses, even getting three As at Highers may not be enough. |
| So these universities are "fishing in a very small pond", all competing to win applications from a small number of poorer kids. It already gives these pupils greater "weight" when they apply than a middle class applicant. In 2011, 55 kids from these areas put St Andrews on their UCAS application; 34 were given offers and 14 accepted. (The original reporting put that number at 13) | So these universities are "fishing in a very small pond", all competing to win applications from a small number of poorer kids. It already gives these pupils greater "weight" when they apply than a middle class applicant. In 2011, 55 kids from these areas put St Andrews on their UCAS application; 34 were given offers and 14 accepted. (The original reporting put that number at 13) |
| Magee argues: | Magee argues: |
| We know that we could play the political game and change these figures overnight by lowering our entry grades, but experience tells us that we would simply be admitting these kids to fail, and that would be utterly dishonest. | We know that we could play the political game and change these figures overnight by lowering our entry grades, but experience tells us that we would simply be admitting these kids to fail, and that would be utterly dishonest. |
| If as a nation however we continue to lay responsibility for widening access solely at the door of universities, the challenge will never be properly met. We believe it requires a concerted effort on health, employment, better housing and a stronger culture of attainment at all levels of Scottish education to equip young people with the grades they need to gain entry and to succeed at university. | If as a nation however we continue to lay responsibility for widening access solely at the door of universities, the challenge will never be properly met. We believe it requires a concerted effort on health, employment, better housing and a stronger culture of attainment at all levels of Scottish education to equip young people with the grades they need to gain entry and to succeed at university. |
| As part of a suite of new initiatives, it now plans to work harder with Fife and Tayside's FE colleges, introduce a new "gateway to computing" programme for local schools, add £400,000 to its bursaries scheme, as well as offering a £7,500 annual bursary and guaranteed place to the Dux (or top pupil) of every secondary school in Fife who gets the right grades. | As part of a suite of new initiatives, it now plans to work harder with Fife and Tayside's FE colleges, introduce a new "gateway to computing" programme for local schools, add £400,000 to its bursaries scheme, as well as offering a £7,500 annual bursary and guaranteed place to the Dux (or top pupil) of every secondary school in Fife who gets the right grades. |
| Robin Parker, the president of NUS Scotland, agreed that "universities can't do it all" but they can do a lot more. | Robin Parker, the president of NUS Scotland, agreed that "universities can't do it all" but they can do a lot more. |
| Despite St Andrews' arguments, he said Bristol university and St George's medical school at the University of London had lowered entry grades for poorer applicants, without their eventual degree grades suffering. | Despite St Andrews' arguments, he said Bristol university and St George's medical school at the University of London had lowered entry grades for poorer applicants, without their eventual degree grades suffering. |
| Schools and wider society have a huge role to play, but that's no excuse for universities to abdicate their own responsibilities. There is too often an implication that to widen access, you must lower standards. This is a false choice. The evidence entirely disputes this, with students from poorer backgrounds, even with lower grades, matching and often outperforming students from richer backgrounds at university. | Schools and wider society have a huge role to play, but that's no excuse for universities to abdicate their own responsibilities. There is too often an implication that to widen access, you must lower standards. This is a false choice. The evidence entirely disputes this, with students from poorer backgrounds, even with lower grades, matching and often outperforming students from richer backgrounds at university. |
| It's welcome that St Andrews are accepting that they can do more, at least in part, by setting targets that will see some limited progress on widening access if met. However, while accepting the principle is welcome, their plans will see only an additional six students per year enter St Andrews University in practice. That's miniscule by any standard. | It's welcome that St Andrews are accepting that they can do more, at least in part, by setting targets that will see some limited progress on widening access if met. However, while accepting the principle is welcome, their plans will see only an additional six students per year enter St Andrews University in practice. That's miniscule by any standard. |
| So, despite St Andrews' protests about demonisation, it seems NUS Scotland and Mike Russell have won this time, partly by wielding a lot of stick. | So, despite St Andrews' protests about demonisation, it seems NUS Scotland and Mike Russell have won this time, partly by wielding a lot of stick. |
| • Correction, 27 November 2012: A sentence eliding two pieces of data has been cut from this blogpost for clarity. | • Correction, 27 November 2012: A sentence eliding two pieces of data has been cut from this blogpost for clarity. |
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