Sep 2007 20

Getting into the top universities1

The Sutton Trust reports (PDF) that state school pupils do not have the same chance of getting into top universities even if they have the same grades as a student from a private school.  It is important to understand that this doesn’t necessarily mean that the universities are discriminating.

There is plenty of evidence that state schools are teaching to the test.  That instead of equipping students with the broad range of skills they need to progress in further education and work they are focussing too much on exam results that boost the league tables.  This means that, with a given quality of exam results, a privately educated pupil – where parental pressure provides an incentive for schools to provide a broader education – will have a more diverse set of skills and will usually be better prepared for university.

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  • Roger Rabbit

    “even if they have the same grades as a student from a private school.”
    But does the report mean the same grades, or the same grades in the same subjects? Naturally, it only means the same GRADES – so in effect the report is saying:
    “SHOCK HORROR – STATE PUPILS WITH 3 ‘B’ GRADES IN BUSINESS STUDIES, MEDIA STUDIES AND GENERAL STUDIES, DO NOT GET TO THE SAME UNIVERSITY AS PRIVATE PUPILS WITH 3 ‘B’ GRADES IN MATHEMATICS, CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS.”
    Well who would’ve predicted that. What a laugh.
    It’s worth remembering that state school pupils on average probably take a-levels in less rigorous subjects than their privately educated peers. For example, how many state schools these days offer latin at GCSE or A-level?
    (P.s. i didn’t read the full report, so perhaps they do cover these things – but from the exec summary they don’t seem to have…)