University attacks government’s ‘unwise’ admissions proposals
Government proposals to alter university admissions have met with criticism and derision in Oxford this week, following announcements made by Education Minister Bill Rammell on Monday. The government plans, which would allow offers to be made to students after the publication of A-Level results, have united dons, administrators and students in opposition.
University Officials have communicated with the government, expressing their frustration at the “unresolved and outstanding problem”, while OUSU argue that the proposals “go against the idea of democracy”. A government consultation with universities demonstrated the overwhelming extent of hostility to the proposed system, with only 24% of institutions showing support. Despite this, the government has rejected the opinion of its own consultation.
Both the University and OUSU support the principle that students should apply to universities after they receive A-Level results, in a system known as ‘Post-Qualification Applications’ (PQA). The aim of PQA is to assist students from state school backgrounds without the confi dence to apply for elite institutions such as Oxford and Cambridge. However, dons have suggested that the government has botched attempts aimed at a phasing-in solution.
It is due to be implemented in 2008 and is intended to lead to full PQA by 2012. Terry Hoad, an English tutor at St Peter’s, said, “There are logistical problems which are quite serious. I would worry about fetishising ALevel results over everything else when people clearly develop in different ways.” “The new systems will mean signifi cant adjustments to school and university term times. Whatever we do, we must allow enough time to make fair decisions.
“It will never be infallible but we need to be careful not to treat any part of the application higher than others. There may come a time when you have to make the change, because I think the principle behind PQA would provide openings for people whose grades are under-predicted.” Oriel tutor Dr Glenn Black suggested that the government was intending to promote a US style of education.
He said, “The present government does tend to look across the Atlantic when it doesn’t have ideas of its own.” Under the current proposals, students who get higher A-level grades than their first choice requires of them will have the chance to re-apply to other universities over the summer. Each university would be expected to compare this second group of applicants with those originally given offers who fail to get the grades.
Oxford’s Educational Policy and Standards Committee (EPSC), one of the five most senior bodies in the university, was told that 300 people failed to achieve their predicted grades to get into Oxford colleges last year, but that 150 of these were let in despite this. The government was motivated to change the current system by statistics from the university admissions service UCAS suggesting that 55% of predicted grades are wrong.
UCAS indicated particularly that students from poorer socioeconomic backgrounds more often have their grades under-estimated, and those from independent schools more often get over-inflated grade predictions. Education minister Bill Rammell said on Monday, “We strongly believe that the opportunity to make fresh applications will offer genuine advantages of fairness to those students who achieve higher grades than required by their conditional offers.
However, OUSU Vice-President (Graduates) Oliver Russell has told The Oxford Student that a contending study was put to the Oxford University suggesting that independent sector students have their grade predictions underrated by their schools. The government proposal that universities consider a second group of students once results are published effectively means that Oxford would have to repeat its interviews and admissions each year.
In a letter seen by The Oxford Student from Oxford University to the Department for Education, the University makes it clear that it will not go through the admissions procedure twice a year for the sake of the government’s wish to have a transition period before full PQA is implemented.
The letter, from the chair of EPSC, goes on to criticise the whole A-level system as a means of assessing applicants: “At present an unresolved and outstanding problem…not addressed is that the qualifications concerned [A-levels] still do not differentiate amongst high achieving applicants, or provide reliable indicators of success on very demanding programmes of study.
One Admissions Tutor told The Oxford Student, “A-levels have been inflated to the point that they are no longer helpful to us.” In a consultation document sent by the government to universities, a proposal very similar to that launched earlier this week found favour with only a minority of respondents. Oxford University joined the majority in opposing the proposal.
OUSU Vice-President (Access and Academic Affairs) Charlynne Pullen said, “For the Government to recommend proposals on a support base of 24% of those who responded to the consultation document, when 53% felt [the proposal] would not be suitable, goes against a principle of democracy and consultation.” “Given a general lack of support and even resistance, it could be regarded as unwise for a Government Minister to undertake these proposals for 2008/9.
The government would do better to submit a realistic and workable proposal if it wishes to help these students.” The government insists that, whatever the opposition to the phasing-in solution, there is still “very strong support in principle for PQA.” A spokesperson for the University of Oxford said, “The collegiate University will look at the recommendations on post-qualification applications and how they might be implemented.
“Any change to our admissions arrangements would need to maintain fairness and the care with which applications are scrutinized.” The Vice-President for Education at the NUS, Julian Nicholds, said, “We are extremely disappointed that a post-qualification admissions system is not being introduced in full. The government has unveiled a system that will benefit only a small number of students and is inherently unfair.
“This watered down version will not go far enough to address the fact that 45% of all grades are wrongly predicted.
25th May 2006