- The Guardian,
- Wednesday July 2 2008
Universities will be asked to partner primary schools to encourage children as young as five to set their sights on university, the Guardian has learned.
A private report commissioned by the prime minister and delivered to ministers yesterday is recommending the move because of concerns that by the time pupils are in their teens, many have rejected the idea of going to university.
The report, which is scheduled to be made public in September, is understood to put more responsibilities on schools to provide the right guidance to students, and to ensure pupils take the right GCSEs and A-levels to get into university. It comes amid mounting pressure on universities to widen their intake after government research revealed that private schools still secure a disproportionate number of places at the top universities.
Ministers met yesterday to consider the report by the National Council for Educational Excellence, led by Steve Smith, vice-chancellor of Exeter University, which is making several recommendations on how universities should tackle elitism.
The report suggests they add data on the proportion of students who go on to university in school league tables, to encourage schools to push their best students forward. It is also understood to back systems already used in some universities which make lower offers to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who they believe have the potential to outperform others from independent and top state schools.
Links with primary schools suggested after the National Audit Office's multimillion-pound programme to encourage state school applications had little effect. The programme targets bright teenagers who might be put off university. It is now believed that teenage years could be too late for targeting many who have already chosen the wrong GCSES or rejected the idea.
