Initiatives to Widen Access and Participation

In recent decades, there has been a global expansion of university access, leading to the concept of the massification of higher education (HE). This entry focuses on the developments and initiatives taken in the United Kingdom to widen access and participation in HE. Whilst the focus of this entry is on the United Kingdom, it should be noted that the separate nations within the United Kingdom—England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland—have different education systems, regulations, and assessment regimes.

Expansion of HE

In the United Kingdom, the expansion of HE stemmed from the Robbins’ Review of Higher Education in 1963 but gained significant momentum during the Labour Government 1997–2010, which set as its goal 50% of school leavers aged 18 and older attending university. By 2018, this goal ...

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