Education: breaking the cycle of deprivation, DFES Research Conference, 12 November 2002

Citation

Harte, V. (2003), "Education: breaking the cycle of deprivation, DFES Research Conference, 12 November 2002", Education + Training, Vol. 45 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/et.2003.00445bab.001

Education: breaking the cycle of deprivation, DFES Research Conference, 12 November 2002

Keywords: Education, Disadvantaged groups, Research

The basis for this conference was to deliver a message to researchers that in order to make a difference to individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, the concept of "research" itself was regarded as an important factor in helping to tackle such issues.

Keynote addresses

Ivan Lewis (Minister for Adult Learning and Skills)

Opening the Conference Ivan Lewis highlighted a number of key research findings relating to the "cycle of deprivation". For example, 76 per cent of those born into the higher socio-economic groups access HE whereas the figure is just 13 per cent for those from lower socio-economic groups. He cited an extract from the autobiography of Andrea Ashworth, a graduate of Oxford and Yale University, who was subjected to a punishing childhood, poverty and racial abuse and a succession of violent stepfathers, growing up in inner-city Manchester. The purpose being to illustrate that it is possible for individuals from deprived and disadvantaged backgrounds to achieve success in their lives. However, it was the research message underpinning Andrea's story which was key to the minister's address. To hear the strongest of encouragement for researchers to go out and research social issues in order to inform policy made a refreshing change. How much of that is grounded in rhetoric rather than reality remains to be seen. To enable this message to have a greater impact he noted the already effective and successful initiatives that are reaching individuals of all ages from varying backgrounds. These are:

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  Sure start programme – 0-four-year-olds, development of babies under four.

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  Excellence in cities – lowering the gap in achievement.

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  Extended schools – looking out to communities and increasing attendance through provision.

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  Connexions 13-19 – smoother transition from school to working life. Education maintenance allowances.

To conclude he announced the publication of the OECD Report which reflects the Government's view and approach to the undertaking of educational research and development (OECD Review: Educational Research and Development in England, available at: www.oecd.org/pdf/M00036000/M00036240.pdf).

Sir Howard Newby (Chief Executive for the Higher Education and Funding Council)

Sir Howard Newby's context was the Government's 50 per cent target for young people to experience higher education by the end of the decade. Newby argued that such a target should be viewed as a minimum not a maximum. In no way should this involve any "dumbing down". A target of 50 per cent, he argued, would not exhaust the potential of those who would benefit. He highlighted that higher education institutions have varied roles, particularly regeneration and social and community inclusion. Of particular note were Newby's comments as regards supply and demand for HE. Demand was the key, not supply. Demand had not driven growth thus far; the increase in the supply of graduates coming largely through higher staying on rates at school. The anticipated growth in level 3 vocational qualifications for entry to HE had not materialised. In order to achieve this target rate, the burden on HEI's was to broaden the basis of entry into HE via schools, FE colleges and above all the wider community. For Newby, the lower socio-economic groups are the "last frontier of participation in HE". In other words, raising aspirations was more important than raising achievement within the supply chain for HE. Of critical importance was the interaction between family background, peer group and HE aspirations; changing values and aspirations to raise demand for education, further education and higher education. Newby concluded with the good news that he anticipated a positive government response as regards the allocation of funds to assist in this drive for greater equality of access to higher education. Additional support would also be required when these "new" students began their higher education and here too Newby was confident that more resources would be forthcoming.

Paul Johnson (Director – Analytical Services Division, DfES)

Johnson's key message was that research findings need to be disseminated and he ambitiously stated that the department should be the medium through which to do this. He announced that a new Website has been developed devoted to DfES research: www.dfes.gov.uk/research Certain uncertainties and ambiguities remain in respect of how the newly established Learning and Skills Research Network, formed as part of the changeover from TECs to Learning and Skills Councils, will sit and work in relation to DfES research strategy and practice. Nevertheless, the message was clear, research will play a more significant role in influencing government policy and practice from here on. Seminar papers

A series of seminar papers followed the opening addresses. The following are highlighted.

Widening participation in HE: labour market returns to graduates from less advantaged backgrounds in the context of expansion: a review of the literature

Abigail McKnight, Centre for Social Exclusion, London School of Economics

The Government is committed to increasing participation in higher education and to widening access to groups of individuals who have traditionally had very low rates of participation. Most estimates of the returns to higher education are based on the average student but a growing literature shows that there is a great degree of variability around this average. This paper reviewed the literature on the labour market returns to a first degree in the context of expansion and with particular reference to graduates from less advantaged backgrounds. Most evidence suggests that, everything else being equal, students from less advantaged backgrounds have lower average returns than their more advantaged peers. However, this does not mean that the rate of return to higher education is less for this group of students as research evidence suggests that their counterfactual wage would be less. But what it does mean is that they will have fewer resources available to fund higher education through their own means. This seminar highlighted the very important fact that although the government want to increase participation in HE to 50 per cent, no direct targets have been set to increase participation rates among people from less advantaged backgrounds. Research has shown that HE is a riskier investment for people from lower social class backgrounds with higher fail/non-completion or low grade rates. In addition, these individuals have a harder time finding a job upon graduation and earn less than their more advantaged peers. Clearly, inequalities in the expansion of HE and widening access are inevitable but how the Government tackle these as part of their targets for 2010 remains to be seen.

Inequalities in the participation, experiences and outcomes of ethnic minorities in higher education

Helen Connor and Claire Tyers, Institute for Employment Studies, University of Sussex

This seminar presented findings from a large national study commissioned by the DfES exploring the experiences of ethnic minority students in higher education, with the focus on their transition to the labour market. The increased participation of ethnic minority students in higher education can be seen as one of the success stories of the last decade. The number of ethnic minority undergraduate students has grown at a faster rate over the last few years than white students. However, on further investigation, it is apparent that considerable inequalities still exist, particularly between individual ethnic groups, in their pattern of participation in higher education and in relation to outcomes. Also ethnic minority students have a different distribution across the higher education sector in terms of institution attended, subjects studied and level of qualification achieved and also in terms of their transition to the labour market. Further information on the findings from this research can be accessed at: www.ies.ac.uk/ethnicminoritystudents

The impact of financial incentives on education choice

Lorraine Dearden, Carl Emmerson, Christine Frayne and Costas Meghir, Institute of Fiscal Studies

This paper evaluated the impact of an additional subsidy to post compulsory education on an individual's choice to remain in full-time education. Matching techniques were used in the research on a specifically designed dataset in order to ensure that valid comparisons between pilot and control groups could be made. The impact of the subsidy appears quite substantial with initial participation rates (at age 16) being around 5.9 percentage points higher. Participation rates one year later are found to be increased slightly more suggesting that retention in post compulsory education is also increased.

The connexions service: the evidence base and evaluation strategy

Tim Shiles and Bev Bishop, DfES

The paper presented the evidence for the Connexions Service, drawing on DfES commissioned research as well as that funded by other agencies. The Connexions Service aims to raise the aspirations, participation and achievement levels of all young people – including those outside learning or at risk of underachievement – by providing impartial information and advice, opportunities for personal development and other support according to their needs. Connexions is an integrated service, overcoming institutional barriers and operating through a network of qualified personal advisers and other support staff. The research evidence presented demonstrated a clear need for the Connexions Service and the scale of the task it faces. The Social Exclusions Unit's report "Bridging the gap", for example, highlights the inadequacies of current support systems for young people which means that many are falling through the net. Research shows that many young people still lack the career and decisions making skills they need to make effective career, course or job choices and that many lack the confidence to seek help. Whilst evidence from the Connexions pilots is largely illustrative nevertheless it is extremely encouraging. For example, in Cornwall and Devon the pilot reports an overall increase in school attendance of 2-10 per cent (5-30 per cent for the targeted group). Exclusions have reduced by 75 per cent, attainment for modular GCSEs has increased by 30-60 per cent for the targeted group and 50 per cent more teenage parents have re-engaged with education. Across the range of pilots 96 per cent of clients found their sessions with the PA useful; 79 per cent are now more interested in education and training as a result.

Post-16 students and part-time jobs: employment patterns and impacts on examination results

Joan Payne

Many students in full-time secondary education in the UK hold part-time jobs. Though this has some benefits, there is concern that long hours of paid work may conflict with their studies. However, there is no recent nationally based UK evidence on the impact of paid work on examination results. Joan Payne's research attempts to fill this gap with data on large, nationally representative samples of young people drawn from the England and Wales Youth Cohort Study. The paper described patterns of paid work amongst full-time students in years 12 and 13 and how these relate to time spent working for qualifications. It shows that, after controlling for a range of factors, paid work of a few hours per week has a legible impact on A-level grades. However, long hours appear to reduce grades significantly. The critical number of working hours before grades are affected is lower in year 13 than in year 12. The impact of part-time jobs on the probability of obtaining vocational qualifications is much less clear.

Vicky HarteEditorial Assistant