Participation - and particularly widening participation to students from less-privileged social groups and those who have traditionally not entered HE - has been a major issue since at least the early 1950s. Widening participation has been an active policy of almost all UK governments over the past 40 years, but the issue is now reaching a possible impasse, with numbers at best static and key groups still effectively excluded from higher education. This is a major political issue as well as one of the most significant issues facing educational establishments. With issues such as student fees and high drop-out rates still political hot-potatoes, this book is a timely and important survey of the real issues behind participation, and non-participation, and is sure to be as controversial as it is useful.Contents is structured in two parts, looking at first the changing context of HE and secondly at issues behind how to develop strategies for widening participation. Contributors come from across the HE spectrum, from Colleges of HE to traditional universities.
Author(s): Annette Hayton
Edition: 1
Year: 2002
Language: English
Pages: 285
Book Cover......Page 1
Half-Title......Page 2
Title......Page 3
Copyright......Page 4
Contents......Page 5
List of Contributors......Page 7
Series Editors’ Foreword......Page 9
Acknowledgements......Page 11
Introduction: Education in Demand?......Page 12
The origins of higher education......Page 13
The struggle for higher education......Page 14
Equal opportunities......Page 15
Professional knowledge and expertise......Page 16
The current context for higher education......Page 17
Participation in higher education......Page 18
Opportunity for all......Page 19
Making the choice......Page 20
Ideal types of higher education chooser......Page 21
Selectivity and admissions......Page 22
Advice and guidance......Page 23
Qualifications and standards......Page 24
Student financial support......Page 25
Equal opportunities......Page 26
Pleasure in learning......Page 27
References......Page 28
Elitism and access to higher education......Page 34
Elitism and increased participation......Page 35
The research study......Page 36
Tracy......Page 37
Janusz......Page 40
Florence......Page 42
Raj......Page 45
Widening participation—is elitism the issue?......Page 48
References......Page 50
2 Challenging Inequality, Choosing Inclusion: Higher Education in Changing Social Landscapes......Page 52
Features of German higher education......Page 53
Non-traditional students in English higher education......Page 55
Plans for the future......Page 58
Scope for action......Page 60
Policy implications......Page 63
Further reading......Page 64
Section 1: Expanding higher education—is the 50 per cent target realizable?......Page 66
‘System slowdown’......Page 68
Attainment trends in general education 14–19......Page 69
Patterns of higher education participation—the historical influence of system factors......Page 70
Reforming advanced level qualifications—Curriculum 2000 as on island of reform......Page 71
A new and coherent approach to 14+ education and training......Page 74
The limits of qualifications reform—engaging with the labour market......Page 75
A longer-term strategy......Page 76
References......Page 77
Introduction......Page 80
New Labour’s vision of higher education......Page 81
New Labour’s student financial support policies......Page 82
Progressiveness......Page 83
Student loans......Page 84
Student debt......Page 85
Paid employment......Page 86
The way forward for further reforms......Page 87
The Cubie report......Page 88
The Dearing report......Page 90
A new student funding system and beyond......Page 92
Conclusion......Page 95
References......Page 96
Introduction......Page 100
The national context......Page 101
Competition in the capital......Page 104
‘Extended degree’ programmes: a case study in widening participation......Page 106
Conclusion......Page 113
Acknowledgements......Page 114
References......Page 115
Introduction......Page 118
The research study......Page 119
Knowledge, information and cultural capital......Page 120
Social and identity risks......Page 122
Financial and economic risks......Page 127
Academic risks......Page 128
Conclusion......Page 129
Notes......Page 130
References......Page 131
Introduction......Page 134
Mature student statistics......Page 135
Rising take up, credentialism and labour market change......Page 139
Rising take up, reflexive modernization and social change......Page 142
Conclusion......Page 145
References......Page 146
Introduction......Page 150
UCAS and access to information......Page 151
Advice and guidance as curriculum......Page 153
Cultural capital......Page 156
The complexity of higher education......Page 157
UCAS and widening participation......Page 159
References......Page 161
Introduction......Page 164
How far have we moved?......Page 165
The elite system and the first wave of ‘new’ students......Page 166
Completion......Page 167
Students’ changing skills profile......Page 168
Subjects and content......Page 169
The fear of change......Page 170
Changes in higher education......Page 172
Choosing the future......Page 173
References......Page 175
Introduction......Page 180
Institutional cultures......Page 181
Resistance......Page 182
Resources......Page 184
Forming alliances......Page 185
Learning from the school sector......Page 186
The ‘problem’ with equal opportunities......Page 187
Micropolitics......Page 188
The role of power......Page 189
References......Page 190
11 Reflections on Widening Access to Medical Schools: The Case of Southampton......Page 194
Notes......Page 202
References......Page 203
Introduction and background......Page 204
Rationale......Page 205
Students......Page 206
What enhanced the process......Page 207
What hindered the process......Page 210
Lessons to learn......Page 211
Outcomes and conclusion......Page 213
References......Page 214
Context......Page 216
Introduction to the Scheme......Page 217
Aims of the Scheme......Page 218
Targeting......Page 219
Outcomes......Page 220
Issues......Page 221
Conclusion......Page 224
References......Page 226
Increased numbers......Page 228
Place of study......Page 229
Student finance......Page 230
Making choices......Page 231
Individual guidance......Page 232
The components of a strong guidance programme......Page 233
Higher education adviser......Page 234
Tutorial support......Page 235
Events and summer schools......Page 236
Applications system......Page 237
Conclusion......Page 238
References......Page 239
Introduction......Page 240
Access in practice......Page 241
Access outcomes......Page 242
Changing attitudes......Page 243
Flexible provision......Page 244
Learner-centred system......Page 245
Adjusting to wider access......Page 246
References......Page 248
The research......Page 250
Research findings......Page 251
The project response......Page 255
Conclusion......Page 257
References......Page 258
Background......Page 260
Working with the schools......Page 261
Are strand one activities appropriate to fulfilling the aims of the project?......Page 263
Working with the colleges......Page 264
What has been the impact of strand two?......Page 266
Discussion......Page 267
Conclusion......Page 268
Further reading......Page 269
Conclusion: Is Higher Education Gladdening our Existence?......Page 270
Government policy......Page 272
Poverty......Page 273
Social capital......Page 274
Selectivity, competition and elitism......Page 276
Qualifications and standards......Page 277
Funding of schools, colleges and universities......Page 278
Transition and sectoral boundaries......Page 280
The rejection of higher education......Page 281
A higher education agenda for the 21st century......Page 282
References......Page 284
Index......Page 286
