Description

Widening access to higher education – As teachers we aim to support linguistic and ethnic minority students throughout their primary and secondary school experience and into higher education. Our concern with diversity in education is reflected in current government policy. The Department for Education and Skills has set a target of 50% of the population under the age of 30 to be in higher education by the year 2010. This aim has been accompanied by policy directives requiring universities to ‘attract, retain and promote the progress of students from under-represented groups’ (DfES, 2003:19). The term ‘non-traditional students’ is often used to refer to those who have been under-represented in higher education; these groups include people with low(er) socio-economic backgrounds and from ethnic and linguistic minority communities.