For immediate release
The new Higher Education framework announced today (Tuesday, November 3) asks Sir Martin Harris, Director of Fair Access, to ‘consult Vice Chancellors and advise the Government by Spring 2010 on further action that could be taken to widen access to highly selective universities for those from under privileged backgrounds – and to ensure that measures for wider access are prioritised most effectively and do not suffer in a time of greater fiscal constraints.’ Responding to this announcement, Sir Martin says:
“I am encouraged by the importance that the new framework continues to place on wider and fairer access to higher education. Far from downgrading its efforts in this area, the Government is instead stepping up the momentum to reinvigorate social mobility in this country. I am pleased it has maintained its resolve in such a difficult fiscal environment. As the framework rightly argues, the question of access to higher education is one of both social justice and economic success – in other words, it is in all our interests to make sure that those with the talent and motivation to benefit from going to university are able to do so.
“Ensuring that appropriately qualified children from under privileged backgrounds have the opportunity to access highly selective institutions is an important part of the fair access agenda. I am therefore happy to work with vice chancellors at such institutions to seek to find further ways – particularly in partnership with schools and colleges – to achieve this.”
Ends
For more information, please contact Zita Adamson, OFFA communications manager on 0117 9317272 or 0117 9317171.
Note to editors:
- The request to Sir Martin Harris is described in Chapter 1 of the HE framework – ‘Wider and Fairer Access to Higher Education’ (paragraph 32). The full description is as follows:
“We are asking Sir Martin Harris, the Director of Fair Access, to consult Vice Chancellors and advise the Government by Spring 2010 on further action that could be taken to widen access to highly selective universities for those from under privileged backgrounds – and to ensure that measures for wider access are prioritised most effectively and do not suffer in a time of greater fiscal constraints. His report will be available in time to influence the conclusions of the Fees Review.
“Working with universities, he will look at how best individual universities can set and achieve targets for themselves. He will advise on how best to promote the partnership of schools and universities to identify and mentor the most talented young people from an early age. He will also advise on whether the money currently used by universities under access agreements, mainly spent on bursaries for their students, can be better targeted in order to give more effective support to fair access.”
- The Office for Fair Access (OFFA) is an independent, non departmental public body established under the Higher Education Act 2004 to help promote and safeguard fair access to higher education. Our main remit is to regulate the charging of higher tuition fees by institutions offering higher education courses.