More action needed if widening participation is to succeed in higher education, says UCU

Analysis of the Higher Education Statistics Agency's UK Performance Indicators in Higher Education, released today, revealed a small rise in the proportion of young full-time undergraduates in UK higher education from a disadvantaged socio-economic background. They also showed that students from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to drop out.

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'Over the past decade, in England alone, nearly £3billion has been spent on measures to widen social class participation in higher education. We welcome the priority that has been given to this area. But there has been little progress, despite a lot of hard work by universities to attract and retain a wider range of students.

'The bottom line is that the punitive cost of higher education is putting the very students who the government wishes to attract off applying. Of equal concern is the higher drop out rates at the institutions that are doing the most to try and attract students from the under-represented groups. Their work needs to be encouraged, not criticised.

'Real widening participation is about ensuring students from every background have the opportunity to realise their potential. There needs to be greater effort to encourage school pupils in the early secondary years to think about going to university. Once disadvantaged students actually get to university, more needs to be done to help them complete their studies.

'Next year's fees review affords the government the perfect opportunity to deliver a system that allows students and staff the opportunity to make the most of the university experience. We look forward to playing our part in that review.'

The figures showed that:

• In 2006-2007, 30.3% of young full-time undergraduates in the UK were from socio-economic groups 4 to 7, compared with 29.8% in the previous year, and 29.2% in 2002-2003 – the base year for these statistics (table T1b).
• By contrast, approximately 47% of the UK working age population is from socio-economic groups 4-7.
• 9.7% of UK and 11.7% of Scottish young entrants from low participation neighbourhoods in 2005-2006 were no longer in higher education the following year, compared with only 6.8% of UK and 8.4% of Scottish young entrants from other neighbourhoods (table T3b).
• In all, 14% of full-time students starting first degree courses in 2005-2006 were projected to drop out (table T5).