More disadvantaged Luton pupils going to university than ever before
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It comes as the proportion of the most disadvantaged pupils going on to higher education across England fell for the first time, with the gap between them and their peers increasing to record levels.
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Hide AdLatest figures from the Department for Education show that 43 per cent of year 11 pupils in the 2022-23 academic year who were eligible for free school meals when they were 15 years old in Luton went on to enrol in higher education by the time they were 19 years old.
This was more than the year before, when 40.5 per cent did, and the highest figure since records began in 2005-06.
Meanwhile, the proportion of free school meal pupils going on to further study nationally fell for the first time having risen every year for the last 17 years.
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Hide AdAs a result, the gap between the most and least disadvantaged children is now at a record high level across the country.
In Luton, free school meal pupils still lagged behind their peers, as 53.8 per cent of them progressed to higher education.
Professor Major said: "Record-level participation gaps between free school meal pupils and their more privileged peers are nothing short of a societal failure.
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Hide Ad"The cherished principle that anyone, regardless of their background, can study for a degree is becoming a distant dream.
"These statistics don’t lie: talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. We are in danger of failing a whole generation."
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said "breaking the link between where a young person grows up, and the opportunities they have" is central to the Government's mission.
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Hide Ad"This data exposes entrenched inequalities that have been left to worsen year on year – for the gap in access to university between disadvantaged students and their peers to be the highest on record is appalling.”
She added: "We all have a role to play in putting that right but when it comes to access to higher education for disadvantaged students, universities can and must do more."
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