Forum Brief: University admissions

Universities should be able to offer places to state school students with lower A Level grades than their privately educated rivals, the government's admissions taskforce has said.

Admissions tutors should "vary the weight they give" to exam results and take factors from a candidate's background into account, according to the taskforce led by Professor Steven Schwartz, the vice-chancellor of Brunel University.

Conservative response

Tim Yeo, shadow education secretary, said: "The government has said again and again that OFFA - the Office for Fair Access - will not be involved in university admissions, yet this report clearly shows that the access regulator is firmly rooted in the idea of altering university admissions procedures to the benefit of the government's social engineering agenda.

"What this country needs is better schools for everyone so that everyone gets the same opportunities, not a government obsessed with meddling with the independence of universities to the detriment of young people."

Forum Response: Universities UK

Diana Warwick, chief executive of Universities UK, said: "Universities are committed to ensuring fair access. The key need is to increase applications and universities alone cannot make this happen - all stakeholders in education from the earliest years have a role to play.

"Universities are already working hard to identify those with the potential to benefit from higher education and will carefully consider any potential improvements to existing processes.

"Universities UK, which plays a key role in spreading good practice across the sector, notes the recommendation that it should work with the Standing Conference of Principals in a number of areas.

"We will be consulting members and other stakeholders, including UCAS, and will address these suggestions in our response to the recommendations.

"It is vital that adequate consideration is given to the direct and indirect costs of implementing any changes, including the burden of bureaucracy, and that any recommendations are considered in light of the proposals on 14 to 19 reform."

Forum Response: Standing Conference of Principles

A spokeswoman for SCOP told ePolitix.com: "We are committed to the principles of fair access to all candidates.

"Many of our colleges already interview applicants, so there is a lot of good practice in our sector."

Forum Response: Secondary Heads Association

John Dunford, general secretary of the Secondary Heads Association told ePolitix.com: "SHA welcomes the report's emphasis on fairness in university admissions, but more information than A-level results alone is required if the playing field of university admissions is to be levelled.

"The report states that 'it is not the task of higher education admissions to compensate for educational or social disadvantage', but universities should take these factors into account when making admissions judgements.

"Too much mystery currently surrounds the reason for acceptance or rejection of applicants. The admissions system needs to be more transparent, open, consistent and objective.

"American-style SAT tests would add useful information beyond A level results and would avoid an undesirable proliferation of tests by individual university departments.

"Heads will welcome greater professionalism of university admissions tutors and a move away from admissions being the job that is passed to the least unwilling lecturer in the department.

"Schools strongly support a post-qualifications applications process. "