New figures showing that students who received
unconditional offers are more likely to drop out of university
highlight the need for an overhaul of university admissions, the
University and College Union (UCU) said today (Wednesday).
UCU was responding to data published by the Office for
Students (OfS) which showed the droput rate was 10% higher
amongst students who received unconditional offers than would
have been expected if they had received conditional offers. The
union called for urgent reform and said universities making
unconditional offers were too often focused on the bottom line
rather than student interests.
UCU said a move to
post-qualification admissions (PQA) would be fairer for
students, eradicate the need for unconditional offers and bring
the whole of the UK into line with the rest of the world when it
comes to university admissions.
UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: ‘Universities
scrabbling to attract students with unconditional offers are too
often focused on the bottom line rather than student interests.
These latest figures show that many students are ill-served by
the current admissions system, and that there is a real need for
urgent reform.
‘A move to post-qualification admissions, where students
receive offers after they their results, would be much fairer to
students. It would eradicate the problems associated with
unconditional offers, end the gamble of predicted grades and
bring the whole of the UK into line with the rest of the world
when it comes to university admissions.’
