UCU response to UCAS admissions report
21 April 2021
UCU said that proposals in UCAS's 'reimagining UK admissions' report fail to properly address the fundamental unfairness of using predicted grades in university applications.
UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: 'UCU has been campaigning for admissions reform for many years, so it's good to see that UCAS now agrees that the current system could be improved. However, UCAS's conservative proposals would still leave students applying to university using unreliable predicted grades. This would not level the playing field for those from disadvantaged backgrounds who are more likely to have their grades underpredicted.
'As such, UCAS's post-qualification offer model falls short of the sort of ambitious reform we need to see. If we really want to remove the disadvantages currently baked in to the system, students should apply after they receive their grades. Reforms also need to be underpinned by properly supported, structured advice and guidance to make the system fairer for all students.'
UCU's own 2019 report - 'post-qualification application: a student-centred model for higher education' - sets out an approach for a fairer post-qualification admissions system. This calls for structured higher education advice and post exam result applications so students can make the best possible decisions.
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