11th December 2013 9:00
By Blue Tutors
There have been many debates recently as to whether the UK’s top universities are doing enough to encourage applications from students from poorer backgrounds. The Russell group has been accused of maintaining a university culture in which even poor students with excellent results are put-off applying for top universities. Although millions of pounds are spent each year on access and outreach, the fact remains that many poorer students feel that they either that their application would not be successful, or that they would not fit in if they applied to top universities. Further, top universities have been criticised for not accepting more students from disadvantaged backgrounds who do apply. There are numerous factors behind these disparities, so what can we as tutors do to help?
Private tutors are no longer the reserve of the wealthy, for whom applications to top universities are often a given. We are also employed by poorer families who want to give their children a boost in school. But can we do more for our students on top of helping them with academic work? Although boosting a student’s skill and confidence in a subject is a good start, private tuition is also a forum in which concerns about university applications can be addressed. I’m sure that many tutors are familiar with cases in which they are teaching a bright student from a disadvantaged background, and discovered that, although they are set to get good results, they either had not considered applying to university at all, or they are put off applying to the top universities on the basis that it ‘wouldn’t be for them’.
One of the ways to address this is something that tutors should be doing anyway – that is, nurturing confidence and potential. Knowing that others have faith in their abilities is a huge step towards encouraging bright students through university applications. Students thinking of applying to Oxford or Cambridge need someone to tell them that it is within their grasp, and support them through the application. On-going support through university applications is the next vital step. The application process can be mystifying to those whose families have no experience of it, and students from schools in poorer areas are unlikely to receive the help they need from teachers. Tutors will need to be on hand to reassure, to explain the process, and prepare students for the most daunting part of the process – the interview. Ultimately, tutors should encourage their students as much as possible, and think ahead about how to help them with their future academic choices.