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million+ comments on parliamentary committee report on widening participation

million+ today (Thursday) welcomed the publication of the Public Accounts Committees’ report on widening participation in higher education. The report examines progress and performance in widening participation and highlights a range of university and student funding issues. The committee concludes that whilst there has been an improvement in university participation this success has been concentrated in “newer universities.”

Pam Tatlow Chief Executive of the university think-tank million+ said, “The recognition by the Public Accounts Committee that newer universities have been the main drivers of increasing participation is very welcome. million+ certainly endorses the committee’s recommendation that other institutions could learn from the experience and best practice developed in post 92 universities in order to improve the UK’s performance in higher education participation.

“It is a pity that the Committee has not followed through the logic of its own conclusion and actually recommended a national bursary system. As the report rightly says this would be both simpler and fairer. A national bursary scheme would have obvious benefits for students who currently face a postcode lottery and those universities which excel in widening participation.

“The report’s conclusion that demand for higher education is increasing and is likely to rise further in the recession is a very timely warning to the Government that the 5000 cut in student numbers imposed by the Treasury for 2009 risks damaging widening participation in higher education.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

  1. million+ is a leading university think-tank with 28 university members, working to solve the complex problems in higher education. www.millionplus.ac.uk
  2. The Public Accounts Committee is chaired by Edward Leigh MP and can be contacted in the following ways: Tel 020 7219 5708 Fax 020 7219 2782 Email pubaccom@parliament.uk Website www.parliament.uk/pac
  3. For more information please contact Gemma Tumelty, Public Affairs Officer on 0207 7171657 or 07900 277819.