Admissions to higher education and Covid-19: ensure proportionate entry
Admissions to higher education and Covid-19: ensure proportionate entry
Teachers’ assessments of grades may or may not disadvantage applicants from lower socio-economic backgrounds. And by the time we know for sure, it will be too late to do anything about it. We propose a simple measure to address this: university admissions staff should seek to ensure that the proportion of confirmed entrants (‘unconditional firms’) from such backgrounds is at least that of previous years.
There is growing evidence that A level students from lower socio-economic backgrounds are disproportionately disadvantaged by school closures. The Sutton Trust documents their differential access to, for example, laptops, the internet and ongoing feedback from teachers. They are less likely to have a quiet place to study. We know that exam boards will standardise grades so that they reflect previous achievement at schools – but will this work for individual students? Nobody knows.
For many universities, the top priority for 2020 entry will be to recruit UK students up to the allowed maximum. But there will be few that disregard grades completely, while the most selective universities and courses are likely to maintain a keen eye on standards.
To make 2020 admissions to the most selective courses and universities fairer, we propose maintaining proportionality. Each university department should work out its previous three-year average for the proportion of entrants from less advantaged backgrounds, using whichever measure(s) that university has in place. (If such data is not available, then calculate the proportion of 2020 offer-holders from these backgrounds.) When confirming places, admissions staff should seek to ensure that the proportion of ‘unconditional firms’ from less advantaged backgrounds is at least equal to this three-year average – even if other applicants have higher grades.
We urge selective universities to be pro-active in admitting applicants from less advantaged backgrounds. On this most uneven of playing fields, admissions staff have the power to give them a fair chance.
Director of Higher Education and Impact at the Bridge Group