State school students deterred from top universities

11 Aug 09
A lack of adequate careers advice from schools is discouraging the brightest state school students from applying for leading universities, a think-tank has claimed
By Jaimie Kaffash

12 August 2009

A lack of adequate careers advice from schools is discouraging the brightest state school students from applying to leading universities, a think-tank has claimed.

A report from the Sutton Trust, Access to universities, published today (August 12), showed that twice as many pupils from independent schools than similarly qualified students from state schools are applying to leading universities.

James Turner, the trust’s director of policy, said: ‘There is good evidence that at least half of the careers and educational advice in state schools is inadequate. It is either partial, poorly timed or completely absent.’ He added that it was ‘a big issue and it is becoming more of an issue because of the more complicated landscape’ in which choices made by 14-year-old pupils could keep them out of the running for degree courses.  

He said that more resources for careers advice were needed. ‘Quite often the teachers are very overworked, particularly from the more challenging schools, and advising students about their universities is, understandably, not their number one priority. We’re certainly in favour of more resources being put into careers and educational guidance and we’d favour some of that coming externally.’

John May, chief executive of the business-education charity Career Academies UK, added that schools could be doing more to promote external advice from business leaders, who would be good role models for state school students. Funding should be spread among schools’ budgets, government and the private sector, he suggested.

He also said there was a need for an overhaul of Connexions, the government’s advice service for young people. ‘I think it has been stuck between a rock and a hard place. It has had to tread the line between being universal and targeted to the most needy.

‘The time is right to look under the bonnet and look at the best way to provide appropriate advice and guidance to young people.’

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