Press Release: Government must do more to widen university access
Twice as many school leavers in England’s richest neighbourhoods go to university than in the poorest neighbourhoods, new analysis of official figures has revealed.
Statistics from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show that in the ten per cent most deprived neighbourhoods only three in ten school leavers go to university, compared with six in ten school leavers in the ten per cent least deprived neighbourhoods. A National Audit Office report found last year that particular sections of society remain under-represented at university. Over £2bn a year is spent on widening access, and yet the gap between rich and poor remains large.
In some neighbourhoods fewer than 4 per cent of school leavers go to university, compared with almost 100 per cent elsewhere.
Shadow Innovation, Universities and Skills Secretary, David Willetts said:
“These statistics reveal the scandal of low social mobility in Britain today. Going to university should be about academic ability not where you were born. Millions of pounds have been spent on widening access but we have not seen the results to match.
“Far too many school leavers from poorer backgrounds, who have similar aspirations to their wealthier peers, are simply not getting the opportunities they need to match their ambitions. School reform is crucial but there’s more the Government can do. We need more imaginative approaches to widening access and better routes from vocational training.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
1. The Government spends 2.3bn a year on widening access (Hansard, 1 Feb 2008 : Column 720W).
2. The spreadsheets attached show the percentage of young people entering higher education for each of the ten per cent poorest neighbourhoods and the 10 per cent richest neighbourhoods. They also show figures for the hundred richest and hundred poorest neighbourhoods in England and by region. A full dataset is available on request.
The data used in this analysis comes from the Index of Deprivation, produced by Oxford University for the Government, which measures social exclusion and deprivation across England (DCLG, The English Indices of Deprivation 2007, 28 March 2008).
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/indiciesdeprivation07
What are LLSOAs?
The areas used in the index are Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LLSOA). These are small areas created by the Government to allow for statistical research, instead of using electoral wards whose boundaries change from time to time. England is broken down into 35,000 such areas containing an average of 1500 people each. Since the codes for these areas are meaningless, we have listed which local authority ward the Area falls into.
Conservative analysis of this data looked at the proportion of those aged under 21 not entering higher education (5 year average, 2001-2005) for the 10 per cent of areas that are most income deprived and 10 per cent of areas that are least income deprived.
What is Income Deprivation?
Areas are ranked on income deprivation, with 1 being the most deprived. The indicators used to calculate income deprivation are:
• Adults and children in Income Support Households (Source: DWP 2005)
• Adults and children in Income-Based Job Seekers Allowance Households (Source: DWP 2005)
• Adults and children in Pension Credit (Guarantee) Households (Source: DWP 2005)
• Adults and children in those Working Tax Credit households where there are children in receipt of Child Tax Credit whose equivalised income (excluding housing benefits) is below 60 per cent of the median before housing costs (Source: HMRC 2005)
• Adults and children in Child Tax Credit Households (who are not eligible for IS, Income-Based JSA, Pension Credit or Working Tax Credit) whose equivalised income (excluding housing benefits) is below 60 per cent of the median before housing costs (Source: HMRC 2005)
• National Asylum Support Service (NASS) supported asylum seekers in England in receipt of subsistence support, accommodation support, or both (Source: NASS 2005)