Halima F.’s Post

I've recently penned an article for Education Choices Magazine about UCAS’ latest initiative to share historical entry grades data – a significant step towards fairer university admissions. In the article, I look into how this move can inspire more ambitious applications and demystify the process for students lacking family guidance in higher education. UCAS plans to further develop this tool, adding a wider range of qualifications and accommodating mixed qualifications, with annual updates and feedback from their advisor panel. I also highlight UCAS’ decision to scrap the £28.50 admissions application fee for students receiving free school meals, which, though modest, removes a significant barrier for many families. While there’s still more work to do, this is a meaningful moment for fairness in admissions. As history shows, progress often comes from embracing and building on small but significant changes rather than overhauling the entire system at once. #Education #UniversityAdmissions #Fairness #UCAS #HigherEducation #SocialMobility #Inclusion The Sutton Trust

Definitely worth a read

While reducing costs for students may be attractive politically, making higher education more affordable to those who can least afford it via improved SUSI grants and providing core funding to ensure our universities continue to provide world class education and research should be the priorities if choices must be made

📉 Victorian Students Fall Behind in English and Maths: A Call for Action 📉 The latest NAPLAN results are a wake-up call for Victorian education. With over 40% of students in grades three and nine struggling to use basic punctuation, and nearly 300,000 students failing to meet minimum standards in English and maths, the need for reform has never been more urgent. This alarming decline highlights the necessity for a return to back-to-basics teaching methods, such as explicit instruction, to halt the downward trend in student performance. The situation is critical, as nearly 30% of students across the state now require additional support or are ‘developing’ in their learning – a slight increase from last year. The stakes are high: nearly $2 billion in federal funding is on the line for Victoria, tied to improvements in student outcomes. However, with the proportion of students needing additional support increasing in 14 out of 20 learning areas, Victoria’s ability to secure these funds is at risk. The Federal Education Minister, Jason Clare, has emphasised the need for serious reform, urging that additional funding must be tied to measures that help students catch up, keep up, and finish school strong. It’s time to take decisive action to ensure every Victorian student receives the quality education they deserve. The future of our children—and the future of our state—depends on it. #Education #NAPLAN #Victoria #TeachingReform #StudentSuccess #BackToBasics Sources: • Susie O’Brien, Rebecca Borg, and Suzan Delibasic, Herald Sun, 14 August 2024.

NEW PAPER ALERT: As Congress considers reauthorizing the Higher Education Act (HEA), it's critical that Titles III and V are updated to better meet the needs of 21st-century students—particularly for students attending minority-serving institutions or MSIs. Our latest report dives into actionable steps for policymakers to make this vision a reality. By reimagining how we support students and strengthening accountability for institutions, we can ensure every student, regardless of race or income, has the opportunity to go to and complete college. Now is the time to build a higher education system that centers equity and access for all. Read more: https://edtru.st/3YGKZYo #HigherEdEquity #HEA #EduReimangined #EdPolicy

Making University Accessible to All The Sutton Trust UCAS’ policy changes to support less advantaged pupils 🙌 UCAS’ recent announcements are a welcome step in widening access to university for less advantaged young people. 👏🏻👏🏽👏🏿 Over the past 25 years, the number of young people attending university has surged, reaching a milestone in 2017 when half of all young adults pursued higher education by age 30. Despite this progress, a stark divide persists for poorer students, especially at highly-selective institutions. A university degree remains the most reliable pathway to social mobility for less advantaged/underrepresented young people, yet in England, only 19.1% of eighteen-year-olds eligible for free school meals attend university, compared to 36.4% of their peers… To find out more about what you can do to help bridge this gap, make sure to turn to page 75 of the latest Summer edition 2024! 🌼🌸🌷 #educationchoicesmagazine #education #educationchoices #educationmatters #learn #socialmobility #ucas #support #learn #mobility #summeredition

As schools state, they knew of these elements the Ministry of Education has now outlined in a briefing to the education minister.... In fact, most sensible people who understand the society and culture and economic context of our communities would have been easily able to produce a similar list. The question is what to do? As it is outside school socio- economic and structural factors that dominate. The briefing really needs to go to the Minister of Finance... Also, why illustrate the story RNZ with images of students( if indeed they are...) most likely to pass UE?...

Higher Education in the UK . we have all recently seen and heard that the state school system in the UK is overwhelmed and many of the schools cannot accommodate the number of local children requiring places. The schools are also underfunded and suffering with teacher recruitment and teachers retention. The government (and shadow party) have put in place a system where children (young adults) are forced to stay in the education system for a further 2yrs after secondary school (e.g. 6th form, or college) Nothing wrong with extra education, we all agree. Except the 6th form/colleges are also overwhelmed and do not have requisite places, funding or teaching staff. Now, the real kicker. Once these young adults, who have attained a quality education at 'A' level try and find space at a university undertaking the subjects that they would like to take a degree in, they find one of two things. 1. the university system is also over subscribed, due the number of additional people passing 'A' level. Therefore, there are physically no places available. 2. the university system is unable to provide the range of subjects, due to lack of additional funding for the number of additional application students (not enough facilities, or lecture personnel) Great planning and forward thinking by the incompetence that we mockingly refer to as our government. How to demoralise a generation in one easy step. And, not one of the parties is actually taking real, active steps to address this issue. Most of these buffoons could not pass todays GCSE's let alone win a place in a university. Obviously, the above is only my humble opinion (and several university visits over the past weeks)

Explore the latest developments in UK education, including proposed changes to primary school testing, GCSE reforms, and challenges in Scottish education. Stay informed about the evolving landscape of British education. Read more: https://zurl.co/Cbn4 #UKEducation #PrimarySchoolTests #GCSEReforms #ScottishEducation #TeacherCuts #EBacc #SchoolLeadership #SENDTraining #EducationReform #Teaching #Learning #EducationMatters #UKEducationSystem #EducationNews #SchoolLife #StudentLife #Teaching

The disappointing reality, is that we are in fact going backwards in closing the gap in outcomes between students from richer and poorer backgrounds. In 2021 it was estimated it could take 500 years to close the gap, since then, the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis have exacerbated the situation, reversing any progress made. It's clear that proactive action is essential to drive meaningful change. ASCL has proposed ten key actions for the incoming government to address these educational disparities, but will these be enough? Read more from Julie McCulloch, Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) here https://lnkd.in/gU_GuDuw #Education #SocialMobility