Manchester University Could Lower Entry Requirements
By :
Krissy HazeCategorySoccerPopularity
Date Published :
2008-07-14 18:02:53
Number Times Read :
4 Word Count: 504
According to a review by its vice-chancellor, Manchester University should consider lowering its strict entry requirements in order to lure more disadvantaged students to the University.
The interim review of undergraduate education, which was conducted by Professor Alan Gilbert, says the University should consider implementing a new admissions system with "differential offers" in an attempt for it to become a more "inclusive institution" and attract students from other backgrounds.
In the review, Professor Gilbert said the University should adopt "systematic measures" of selection in order to become more inclusive. He said: "We aim to be an inclusive institution and therefore need to adopt more systematic measures to enable identification and selection of the best possible students from all educational backgrounds."
Professor Gilbert also said that there was a need for "more sophisticated measures of academic performance to identify the most outstanding students." The could mean moving to an admission system that is not weighted entirely on academic ability, but one that also takes "contextual information" into account. Indeed, a recent review of university admissions seems to fit with this idea, as it was suggested that achieving a B in an A-Level exam might mean more for a pupil from a disadvantaged background than it would for a pupil from a middle-class background.
However, many people are unhappy about this new style of admissions with the head teacher of one of the UK's best schools saying this move would be "discrimination." Dr Martin Stephen of St Paul's School in West London said that some of the University's most outstanding students could desert them if they thought that there was bias against them.
A Manchester University spokesperson said: "What we want is the best students and the review is looking at how we can identify the most talented students." However, the spokesperson said that no decision on admissions had been taken at this very early stage.
Research from the 2005-2006 academic year indicated that just 77.7 per cent of undergraduates at Manchester were from state schools. The national average is much higher at 86.9 per cent.
In the review, Professor Gilbert said the University should adopt "systematic measures" of selection in order to become more inclusive. He said: "We aim to be an inclusive institution and therefore need to adopt more systematic measures to enable identification and selection of the best possible students from all educational backgrounds."
Professor Gilbert also said that there was a need for "more sophisticated measures of academic performance to identify the most outstanding students." The could mean moving to an admission system that is not weighted entirely on academic ability, but one that also takes "contextual information" into account. Indeed, a recent review of university admissions seems to fit with this idea, as it was suggested that achieving a B in an A-Level exam might mean more for a pupil from a disadvantaged background than it would for a pupil from a middle-class background.
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