9th March 2016 1:00
By Blue Tutors
The Higher Education Statistics Agency has revealed that there has been a declined in the number of disadvantaged students being accepted at Oxford and Cambridge. Figures show that over the past decade the numbers of entrants from poor socio-economic backgrounds fell at both universities by about 2%. In 2004, disadvantaged students comprised 12.3% of entrants at Oxford, and 12.4% at Cambridge, figures which fell to 10% and 10.2% respectively in 2014. Oxbridge have consistently taken fewer students from poor socio-economic backgrounds than every other university in the country.
Other Russell Group universities including Exeter, Durham and Imperial College London also recorded a fall in acceptances for students from poor socio-economic backgrounds, despite increasing calls to widen access. Education charity the Sutton Trust said that it was extremely worrying that the access gap between the wealthy and those from poorer backgrounds has actually widened in recent years. The prime minister warned universities to do more to tackle social inequality. The Russell Group has been petitioned to work harder on access initiatives to improve the participation of those from low-income backgrounds.
However, the Russell Group has responded to say that whilst they will continue to work hard at access, the problem cannot be solved at the university level. The numbers of school pupils eligible for free school meals has increased dramatically in recent years, and the group highlighted a worrying mismatch between the academic capabilities of many students at A level and the level required at university. The universities of Oxford and Cambridge also questioned the data provided by the statistics agency, pointing out that the data used to assess socio-economic backgrounds is of poor quality.