Attempting to get more students from poorer backgrounds into St Andrews (pictured)– or any university – is important, but misses the point if the focus is entirely on getting more bums from poor backgrounds onto the same seats that have been occupied for generations by the privileged (Why are so few pupils from deprived backgrounds getting into one of Scotland's top universities?, Special report, December 2).
Attempting to get more students from poorer backgrounds into St Andrews (pictured)– or any university – is important, but misses the point if the focus is entirely on getting more bums from poor backgrounds onto the same seats that have been occupied for generations by the privileged (Why are so few pupils from deprived backgrounds getting into one of Scotland's top universities?, Special report, December 2).
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If successful, this strategy might enable more young people to use education to climb the social ladder and leave poverty behind, but the poverty, its causes and the communities which experience it remain.
Resources should be aimed not so much at getting students in, but rather at getting the universities to go out into the real world of poverty to join those who are trying to tackle the problem. University initiatives that support community projects and campaign groups challenging inequality and other social problems remain marginal, poorly funded and often subsidised by other public and voluntary sector organisations.
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Universities can do more to help poor
Attempting to get more students from poorer backgrounds into St Andrews (pictured)– or any university – is important, but misses the point if the focus is entirely on getting more bums from poor backgrounds onto the same seats that have been occupied for generations by the privileged (Why are so few pupils from deprived backgrounds getting into one of Scotland's top universities?, Special report, December 2).
If successful, this strategy might enable more young people to use education to climb the social ladder and leave poverty behind, but the poverty, its causes and the communities which experience it remain.
Resources should be aimed not so much at getting students in, but rather at getting the universities to go out into the real world of poverty to join those who are trying to tackle the problem. University initiatives that support community projects and campaign groups challenging inequality and other social problems remain marginal, poorly funded and often subsidised by other public and voluntary sector organisations.
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We moderate all comments on HeraldScotland on either a pre-moderated or post-moderated basis. If you're a relatively new user then your comments will be reviewed before publication and if we know you well then your comments will be subject to moderation only if other users or the moderators believe you've broken the rules, which are available here.
Moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. Please be patient if your posts are not approved instantly.
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