According to an article in the Guardian middle-class teenagers and their parents are increasingly using university clearing to shop around for the best courses to the detriment of their less well-off peers, education experts have warned ahead of A-level results day next week.
A growing number of applicants are picking and choosing better offers as the Russell Group of leading research universities have significantly increased the number of students they accept through clearing in recent years, according to admissions officers.
But school leavers from disadvantaged backgrounds lack the confidence and parental and school support that enable their more affluent peers to take advantage of the rising importance of clearing, educational charities said.
The warning comes after teaching unions said the overhaul of A-levels and GCSEs has increased pressure on pupils to do well and led to more anxiety and stress. A National Education Union poll, which questioned 656 teachers working in English secondary schools, found 66% believed the assessment methods for the new A-levels are worse for schoolchildren’s mental health than before.
A National Education Union poll, which questioned 656 teachers working in English secondary schools, found 66% believed the assessment methods for the new A-levels are worse for schoolchildren’s mental health than before.
The number of clearing acceptances reached a record high last year, according to Ucas figures, including huge increases at 10 of the highest-ranked universities with stricter entry criteria. For example, the number of clearing acceptances at Nottingham University rose from 180 to 995 between 2011 and 2017, while Newcastle University’s number went up from 95 to 805, and Liverpool University from 225 to 690.
Since the removal of the cap three years ago on the number of undergraduates universities can recruit, there has been fierce competition to attract students. Combined with fewer 18-year-olds in the population, it has led to a buyer’s market for university applicants.
