Stats Show More Pupils from Fee-Paying Schools Getting into Top Universities

1.27.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 26th Nov 2007

A study reported in today's The Independent have revealed that the leading independent schools are still getting more pupils into the country's top universities, despite the Governments widening participation drive.

Commenting on the figures Greg Mulholland, MP for Leeds North West, said:

"It is clear from these figures that the Government's widening participation programme is not working.

"The top universities in the country are still full of the privileged few who went to fee-paying independent schools.

"When the poorest students already have to think twice about going to university because of top up fees, the Government needs to re-examine its efforts to get more pupils from state schools into the top universities, including reforming the A-level system, or those from less privileged backgrounds will continue to miss out."