Plans to boost disadvantaged university students could ‘discriminate’ against better-off pupils, private schools say

Private schools have claimed that plans to level the playing field for disadvantaged students at universities could discriminate against fee-paying pupils “on the basis of the class they were born into”.

More advantaged children could be “robbed” of their futures if institutions diversify their intakes but fail to expand their student numbers, an elite private school organisation has suggested.

It comes as the regulator has told Britain’s top universities they must significantly reduce the gap between disadvantaged students and their more advantaged peers taking up places or face fines.

Young people from the most advantaged areas of England are more than six times as likely as their less advantaged peers to go to a selective university, the Office for Students (OfS) has found.

Elite institutions, which include Oxbridge and Cambridge, have now agreed tough targets with the watchdog to narrow the equality gulf over the next five years following pressures.

Oxford has pledged to cut the ratio of most-represented to least-represented groups from 15 to one to eight to one, and Cambridge has committed to reducing it from 14 to one to around 6.7 to one.

But both Oxford and Cambridge have no plans to expand their student numbers to improve access.

Mike Buchanan, executive director of the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference (HMC), which represents the most elite private schools, said: “Care is needed in starting actively to discriminate against individual young people on the basis of the class they were born into.”

He added: “We urge the government to enable universities and colleges to expand to take as many truly suitable students as necessary, rather than rob some students of a future to award it to others.

“Universities should also look at the increasing numbers of high-paying international students they are accepting, rather than deny places to UK students based on their class.”

Chris Millward, director for fair access and participation at the OfS, said the extent of any “displacement” of more advantaged students will depend on whether universities decide to grow their numbers.

He said: “Inevitably in Oxbridge if they don’t grow, then the groups that are very highly represented in those universities will be less represented at the end of this. There’s no doubt about that.”

Mr Millward added: “I think there’s a real issue about capitalising on the talents across all parts of the country.

“Nobody would say looking at the current profile of people going into the most selective universities that that reflects the talent and potential of students across the country.

“This is really about improving opportunity for people who could benefit from that kind of education and don’t currently. That’s a fairness issue.”

An Oxford University spokesperson said: “Greater competition inevitably means more students will be disappointed, but we want the best talent possible for the outstanding education we offer.”

They added: “More than 69 per cent of undergraduate offers were made to pupils attending state schools, and a record number to those from under-represented backgrounds.

“The changes we have brought in, with widespread support across the university and its colleges, have increased and diversified the pool of students applying to and receiving offers from Oxford.”

The OfS said access to university has been a “postcode lottery”, with young people from the northeast and southwest of England much less likely to go into higher education than those in London.

Sir Michael Barber, chairman of OfS, said: “What is an assumed rite of passage for many young people across the country is often viewed very differently in rural and coastal communities, the industrial heartlands and military towns.

“The north-south divide crops up in many debates around equal opportunities, and higher education is no exception.”

Universities found to have failed to improve access can face sanctions by the watchdog including fines.

Chris Skidmore, universities minister, said: “It is damning for the sector that large gaps still remain between disadvantaged students and their peers.”

He added: “I am pleased to see universities being ambitious in their plans to reach out to those from disadvantaged backgrounds and to support them through their studies. But for universities which do not meet their registration conditions, I fully support the Office for Students to take appropriate action.”

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