Changing Inequalities and Access to a Differentiated Higher Education System: a Welsh perspective Gareth Rees Moray House School of Education, University of Edinburgh, 14 June 2013

Welsh Research The Nuffield Study provides an extremely helpful context for WISERD’s research in this area. In particular, for a project funded by ESRC and HEFCW: Statistical analysis of new data-set, linking at the individual level data from NPD, LLWR and HESA; Fieldwork based analysis of widening access strategies, at national, regional and institutional levels. Unfortunately, too early to provide even initial findings.

Administrative and a Social System Parliamentary devolution has provided a rich context for ‘home international’ comparisons. The Nuffield study indicates the relatively small impact that diverging policies have had on HE as a ‘social system’. In Wales, some effects of fees policy on distribution of student destinations between Wales and elsewhere in UK. However, this policy proved unaffordable; and serious questions remain over policy on ‘top-up’ fees.

‘Excellence’ vs. ‘Equity’ in HE Access The study illustrates intractability of ‘compensating’ for social-class background in HE entry. This is largely mediated through prior educational attainment. The scope of state policy is thereby brought into question, both on student finance, ‘contextualised’ offers, and widening access initiatives. These issues raise quite fundamental questions about how the relationships between ‘excellence’ and ‘equity’ are to be managed.