Poor 'not disadvantaged' says expert

New research has claimed children from wealthy backgrounds are seven times more likely to go to country's top universities than those from disadvantaged backgrounds – with the gap widening since the 1990s

Huddersfield University's deputy vice chancellor Peter Slee believes, however, the report undermines work being done to widen participation by newer universities, which are not considered among the country's top performers.

A study by the Office for Fair Access (Offa) said the gap between the proportions of rich and poor youngsters attending the UK's leading institutions has widened since the 1990s.

In the mid-1990s the most advantaged fifth of youngsters were six times more likely to gain a place at the top third of selective universities than the most disadvantaged 40 per cent of teenagers.

Professor Slee said: "Increasing participation in higher education and widening participation to involve more people from deprived backgrounds are more important issues than access to the most selective universities.

"Since 2004/05 there has been a 32 per cent increase in the numbers of students from disadvantaged background going to university."

Professor Slee questioned the decision of the Offa report to measure the numbers getting into the "top third of universities."

He added: "We would argue that if you are looking to work, for instance, in the creative industries such as product design or if you wanted to be a nurse or an ancillary health professional then many of the newer universities will offer as good an education as some universities which were launched in the 19th century."

Offa, the university access watchdog, was asked by Gordon Brown's Government to assess what more could be done to boost the number of disadvantaged teenagers studying in Britain's elite institutions.

Its report also revealed that up to 4,000 pupils decide not to apply for top universities despite achieving high enough grades. Thousands of others are disadvantaged because their schools do not offer the subjects that the country's most selective universities want, such as modern foreign languages or single sciences, the review says. It urges coaching of bright children.