“More young students from poor backgrounds are going to university than ever before, narrowing the gap between rich and poor students’ participation rates, new government figures suggest. Statistics on full-time young participation by socio-economic class released today show the proportion of England’s 18- to 20-year-olds from the top three socio-economic classes taking degrees fell to 41.2% in 2007-08, from 45.2% in 2002-03. Over the same period, going to university full-time became more common among the bottom four socio-economic groups, with participation rates increasing from 18.1% to 21% …” (more)
[Anthea Lipsett, Guardian, 1 July]