Turning the clock back on access to university

By Wes Streeting / @wesstreeting

“There is lots of anger about higher education at the moment and I understand it. I am angry too. Here’s what makes me angry. Oxford and Cambridge take more students each year from just two schools – Eton and Westminster – than from among the 80,000 pupils who are eligible for free school meals. Scandalously, the number of disadvantaged students going to these universities is going down, not up. And a young adult from an affluent background is now seven times more likely to go to university than one from a poor background. These are the things that make me angry: these are the facts that would make me take to the streets.”

After a turbulent fortnight of civil unrest and widespread acrimony about the direction of our education system, these words could easy have been mine. They’re actually the words spoken by the Deputy Prime Minister just three days ago in his Hugo Young lecture.

Just two days later, it was left to the Universities Minister, David Willetts, to announce that the government is abolishing its flagship university access scheme, Aimhigher. Established to raise aspirations amongst the most disadvantaged groups in society, Aimhigher involved-around 2,500 schools, 300 colleges, 100 universities and countless staff and student volunteers in its efforts to widen participation in higher education. The National Union of Students has condemned the move; NUS President Aaron Porter yesterday accused ministers of “sending the miserable message to students and their families that rather than aim higher, they should aim lower”. Ministers say that responsibility for the work of Aimhigher is being passed to individual universities.

This is just the latest in a string of policy announcements that risks turning the clock back on efforts to open the doors of our universities to all who have the ability. The abolition of the Education Maintenance Allowance for the poorest college students, the introduction of student loans for adults studying for level three qualifications (A-level and equivalent) and – infamously – plans to treble university fees to an eye watering £9,000 have all been announced since the Comprehensive Spending Review

These changes are taking place at break neck speed. The government confirmed yesterday that MPs and Peers will be asked to authorise higher university fees before Christmas. Vital details have yet to be published about the funding and future of widening participation activity, the planned scholarship scheme for poorer students and the requirements to be placed on those universities wishing to charge the highest fees to ensure fair access.

The government doesn’t plan to publish these details until next year, long after the vote in parliament. It is expected that higher fees will pass with ease, with lip service on fair access up front and wishy washy measures as an after thought later.

Nick Clegg understands there is a problem, but offers no solutions. His government is about to make matters worse. Labour will need to think long and hard about how to approach a radically different landscape after the next election. For now, and in the absence of a real Liberal Democrat rebellion, we are as powerless as those taking to the streets; their future condemned.