Report suggests state schools losing out
A Government report into the application procedures of Britain's top universities has suggested there is clear prejudice against students from state schools.
The report, commissioned by the Sutton Trust, compiled by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, and due to be published next month, looked at admissions for 13 top universities, including Oxford. It concluded that 3,000 state school students are losing out on places to independent school students, despite on average achieving A-level results two grades higher.
Louise McMullan, OUSU VP Access and Academic Affairs, told The OxStu the report "simply played on stereotypes [and] ignored the more important effect that socio-economic class has on applications."
The report has emphasised the importance of grade predictions as one of the main issues behind the students that are missing out on places, suggesting that state schools are less confident in predicting grades than their independent school counterparts. The significance is somewhat reduced at Oxford, where predicted grades are only one part of the admissions procedure, with interviews designed to look further at the potential within students.
The report comes as Prof. Anthony Smith, President of Magdalen College, spoke out against "intrusive reforms" of the admissions system at a conference in Brighton.
20th May 2004