Class divide at universities

It is borne out by statistical confirmation that the richest teenagers are still seven times more likely to go to a top red-brick university than the poorest youngsters.

This class divide goes to the heart of education policy – and its future direction. Some perspective is required. The role of universities is, essentially, to provide students with the intellectual skills for their chosen career.

The complaint from employers, in recent years, is that too many universities have not been producing sufficient high calibre students, and that Labour's approach has seen a diminution of standards.

The perspective of universities is, however, different. While they have broadened their entrance policies, their biggest issue is that the A-level exam is no longer an effective means of identifying those young people with the most potential – the business leaders of tomorrow.

Yet, according to the OFFA, the primary reason why this equality gap remains is that too many children are making the wrong subject choices when they embark upon their GCSE studies at the age of 14.

Critics of new Labour's approach will also point out, with some justification, that it is down to an individual to make the most of their talent – rather than have doors opened for them as part of a quota system.

These diverging views also prove that there's no overnight solution to this dilemma.

However, the report does give credence to the view that too much policy-making is being focused on A-levels and degrees when the primary cause of educational failure in this country is the large

number of pupils who leave primary school with an inadequate grasp of the basic skills.

Unfortunately, a significant proportion of these youngsters go to inner-city schools – the very communities under-represented at the top universities.

If this anomaly could be addressed, there would be no justification for universities not accepting students from all backgrounds – or for the continuing existence of the Office for Fair Access.