Universities: drop entry requirements for deprived kids, says Dame Ruth Silver Commission

A fifth of university entrants should be from Scotland’s most deprived communities, a commission on widening access has recommended.

The target is one of 34 recommendations set out by the commission in its report, which also included lowering admission requirements for students from deprived backgrounds.

The ‘Blueprint for Fairness’ also suggests the establishment of an independent Commissioner for Fair Access, and a “whole system approach” including more flexibility in the senior phase at secondary school.

The Commission on Widening Access is chaired by Dame Ruth Silver and was appointed after the Scottish Government said it wanted every child to have an equal chance of reaching university, regardless of their background.  

Silver said the recommendations were centred around “breaking the cycle” of deprivation.

“It is our firm belief that Scotland has a moral, social and economic duty to tackle an inequality that is borne out in the latest statistics. Scotland has a truly world class higher education system, perhaps the most powerful weapon there is to combat socioeconomic inequality,” she said.

Silver conceded the proposals were radical.

“Our position is not that every child should go to university or that this option should be held above all others but they should have a chance to do so,” she added.

The Scottish Funding Council recently announced it would stop financing additional funding places, and the Commission has called on it to be more “robust” in setting targets for universities.

Scottish Conservatives young people spokesperson Liz Smith said the proposals were controversial, and variable entry requirements would makes things difficult for universities.

“It will certainly put added pressure on higher education funding since more places will have to be made available if no student is to be squeezed out.

“The challenge is even greater because the commission has also uncovered a wide variation across schools as to the availability of some Higher and Advanced Higher courses which are, of course, essential for university entrance,” she said.

NUS Scotland president Vonnie Sandlan, who sat on the commission, said universities can do more, but only with closer partnerships with schools and colleges.

“We know that education is a transformative experience, for individuals, communities, and Scotland as a whole, and the responsibility to ensure that it’s in reach for every child in Scotland is incumbent on us all. The aims of the report may be challenging, but they’re also achievable, and they must be achieved,” she said.

The Open University in Scotland, which already operates without entrance requirements, welcomed the report.

Director Susan Stewart said: “This is just the first stage in a process which has to address the needs of students of all ages, including those in work and with families to look after – access to higher education is not just an issue for recent school leavers. We cannot widen access with a narrow focus.

“Flexible and part-time study is a huge part of the solution.”