The Quest for Answers As an education sector we like answers, answers for everything, right or wrong. Sometimes we’re more concerned with arriving at an answer, than we are with ensuring it tackles the issue addressed by the question. Widening HE participation is led by policy that dictates which answers we provide to what questionsContinue reading “Let them eat data: Education, widening participation and the digital divide”
Category Archives: Policy
What’s wrong with the ‘disadvantaged’?
Exactly that – there’s nothing wrong with them. However there is a lot wrong with the term ‘disadvantaged’ and it should not be used by widening participation practitioners, and we should challenge other professionals who use this term- whether that be policy makers, politicians or educationalists. I have four main issues with the term ‘disadvantaged’:Continue reading “What’s wrong with the ‘disadvantaged’?”
Reaching Beyond the School Gate: Making University Outreach More Meaningful
I began working in university outreach back in 2012. Since then, universities have – quite rightly – been under increasing pressure to demonstrate the impact of their widening participation activities. Across the sector, the most common model of student engagement focuses on schools. We look at educational institutions that have a large proportion of studentsContinue reading “Reaching Beyond the School Gate: Making University Outreach More Meaningful”
Don’t Talk to me About Aspirations; The language of disadvantage.
This blog is based around a 2-year research project working with young men engaged with statutory or community provision during 2018 and 19 who accessed youth provision via the ‘Children and Young Peoples Partnership’ at Lancaster University. “Don’t talk to me about aspirations, who says what I should or shouldn’t be lad, mi dad’s aContinue reading “Don’t Talk to me About Aspirations; The language of disadvantage.”
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