The underrepresentaKon of ethnic minoriKes in higher educaKon: are aspiraKons to blame? Presented at the Brilliant Club inaugural conference 24th July 2014
Dr Sam Baars
Research Associate, LKMco sam@lkmco.org // @sambaars
“Society should ensure that all children and young people receive the support they need in order to make a fulfilling transi9on to adulthood” info@lkmco.org -‐ +44(0)7793 370459 -‐ @LKMco – www.lkmco.org.uk
Overview • Basic analysis of data from the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE) • Looks in simple terms at how young people from the same cohort, but different ethnic groups, vary in relaKon to: – – – –
Their aspiraKons and expectaKons of HE Whether they seek informaKon and guidance on how to get there Whether they end up going to university (and Russell Group) Their experiences of Higher EducaKon
• Are low BAME parKcipaKon rates due to ‘low aspiraKons’?
“Society should ensure that all children and young people receive the support they need in order to make a fulfilling transi9on to adulthood” info@lkmco.org -‐ +44(0)7793 370459 -‐ @LKMco – www.lkmco.org.uk
Tracking routes through HE with LSYPE Ethnic group
LSYPE survey item/variable
"Likely to get into university, if I apply" "Likely to apply to university" "Made use of some IAG in past 12 months" In Higher EducaKon at 18… …and of those, aeending a Russell Group university* "University has been beeer than expected"* "Had an accurate picture of university before aeending"
Year data collected
Black Black LSYPE Caribbean African White Mixed Indian Pakistani Bangladeshi Other Wave Year 11 Year 12 HE yr1 HE yr1 HE yr1 HE yr1 HE yr1
“Society should ensure that all children and young people receive the support they need in order to make a fulfilling transi9on to adulthood” info@lkmco.org -‐ +44(0)7793 370459 -‐ @LKMco – www.lkmco.org.uk
“Likely to get into university, if I apply” The first quesKon: young people were asked in Year 11 if they thought they’d be likely to get into university, if they applied. On average, 9 in 10 young people said ‘yes’ -‐ with young people from White backgrounds less likely than average to expect to get into university. "Likely to get into university, if I apply" "Likely to apply to university" "Made use of some IAG in past 12 months" In Higher EducaKon at 18… …and of those, aeending a Russell Group university* "University has been beeer than expected"* "Had an accurate picture of university before aeending"
Black Black LSYPE Caribbean African White Mixed Indian Pakistani Bangladeshi Other Wave 84% 89% 96% 95% 91% 92% 96% 94% Year 11 Year 12 HE yr1 HE yr1 HE yr1 HE yr1 HE yr1
Cell % is proporKon within each ethnic group responding posiKvely to each statement Indicates proporKon within ethnic group is above average for the whole cohort Indicates proporKon within ethnic group is below average for the whole cohort
“Society should ensure that all children and young people receive the support they need in order to make a fulfilling transi9on to adulthood” info@lkmco.org -‐ +44(0)7793 370459 -‐ @LKMco – www.lkmco.org.uk
“Likely to apply to university” In Year 12, in their first year of further educaKon, the young people were asked if they were likely to apply for university. Again, BAME groups were more likely than the average for the whole cohort to want to apply for university.
"Likely to get into university, if I apply" "Likely to apply to university" "Made use of some IAG in past 12 months" In Higher EducaKon at 18… …and of those, aeending a Russell Group university* "University has been beeer than expected"* "Had an accurate picture of university before aeending"
Black Black LSYPE Caribbean African White Mixed Indian Pakistani Bangladeshi Other Wave 84% 89% 96% 95% 91% 92% 96% 94% Year 11 52% 69% 89% 80% 80% 76% 94% 87% Year 12 HE yr1 HE yr1 HE yr1 HE yr1 HE yr1
“Society should ensure that all children and young people receive the support they need in order to make a fulfilling transi9on to adulthood” info@lkmco.org -‐ +44(0)7793 370459 -‐ @LKMco – www.lkmco.org.uk
“Made use of some IAG in the past 12 months” The next quesKon addresses whether young people made use of informaKon, advice and guidance (IAG) in the year leading up to beginning HE. Again, almost all BAME groups were more likely than average to have sought informaKon and guidance relaKng to their future educaKon and career "Likely to get into university, if I apply" "Likely to apply to university" "Made use of some IAG in past 12 months" In Higher EducaKon at 18… …and of those, aeending a Russell Group university* "University has been beeer than expected"* "Had an accurate picture of university before aeending"
White 84% 52% 89%
Mixed 89% 69% 91%
Black Black LSYPE Caribbean African Indian Pakistani Bangladeshi Other Wave 96% 95% 91% 92% 96% 94% Year 11 89% 80% 80% 76% 94% 87% Year 12 92% 91% 92% 93% 92% 88% HE yr1 HE yr1 HE yr1 HE yr1 HE yr1
“Society should ensure that all children and young people receive the support they need in order to make a fulfilling transi9on to adulthood” info@lkmco.org -‐ +44(0)7793 370459 -‐ @LKMco – www.lkmco.org.uk
In Higher EducaKon at 18… Tracking young people through into HE, it starts to become clear that this relaKvely high aspiraKons, expectaKons and IAG base doesn’t translate into parKcipaKon for some minority ethnic groups -‐ parKcularly Black Caribbean young people… "Likely to get into university, if I apply" "Likely to apply to university" "Made use of some IAG in past 12 months" In Higher EducaKon at 18… …and of those, aeending a Russell Group university* "University has been beeer than expected"* "Had an accurate picture of university before aeending"
White 84% 52% 89% 28%
Mixed 89% 69% 91% 27%
Black Black LSYPE Caribbean African Indian Pakistani Bangladeshi Other Wave 96% 95% 91% 92% 96% 94% Year 11 89% 80% 80% 76% 94% 87% Year 12 92% 91% 92% 93% 92% 88% HE yr1 54% 32% 36% 21% 42% 39% HE yr1 HE yr1 HE yr1 HE yr1
“Society should ensure that all children and young people receive the support they need in order to make a fulfilling transi9on to adulthood” info@lkmco.org -‐ +44(0)7793 370459 -‐ @LKMco – www.lkmco.org.uk
…and of those, aeending a Russell Group university …and this underrepresentaKon among BAME young people becomes more widespread in Russell Group insKtuKons
"Likely to get into university, if I apply" "Likely to apply to university" "Made use of some IAG in past 12 months" In Higher EducaKon at 18… …and of those, aeending a Russell Group university* "University has been beeer than expected"* "Had an accurate picture of university before aeending"
White 84% 52% 89% 28% 25%
Mixed 89% 69% 91% 27% 32%
Black Black LSYPE Caribbean African Indian Pakistani Bangladeshi Other Wave 96% 95% 91% 92% 96% 94% Year 11 89% 80% 80% 76% 94% 87% Year 12 92% 91% 92% 93% 92% 88% HE yr1 54% 32% 36% 21% 42% 39% HE yr1 20% 19% 12% 6% 15% 33% HE yr1 HE yr1 HE yr1
“Society should ensure that all children and young people receive the support they need in order to make a fulfilling transi9on to adulthood” info@lkmco.org -‐ +44(0)7793 370459 -‐ @LKMco – www.lkmco.org.uk
“University has been beeer than expected” It’s also interesKng to note that young people’s experiences of university (for those who go) are generally less posiKve among BAME young people…
"Likely to get into university, if I apply" "Likely to apply to university" "Made use of some IAG in past 12 months" In Higher EducaKon at 18… …and of those, aeending a Russell Group university* "University has been beeer than expected"* "Had an accurate picture of university before aeending"
White 84% 52% 89% 28% 25% 53%
Mixed 89% 69% 91% 27% 32% 40%
Black Black LSYPE Caribbean African Indian Pakistani Bangladeshi Other Wave 96% 95% 91% 92% 96% 94% Year 11 89% 80% 80% 76% 94% 87% Year 12 92% 91% 92% 93% 92% 88% HE yr1 54% 32% 36% 21% 42% 39% HE yr1 20% 19% 12% 6% 15% 33% HE yr1 47% 52% 42% 29% 39% 32% HE yr1 HE yr1
“Society should ensure that all children and young people receive the support they need in order to make a fulfilling transi9on to adulthood” info@lkmco.org -‐ +44(0)7793 370459 -‐ @LKMco – www.lkmco.org.uk
“Had an accurate picture of university before aeending” …and their expectaKons also seems less aligned with the reality they experience
"Likely to get into university, if I apply" "Likely to apply to university" "Made use of some IAG in past 12 months" In Higher EducaKon at 18… …and of those, aeending a Russell Group university* "University has been beeer than expected"* "Had an accurate picture of university before aeending"
White 84% 52% 89% 28% 25% 53% 84%
Mixed 89% 69% 91% 27% 32% 40% 79%
Black Black LSYPE Caribbean African Indian Pakistani Bangladeshi Other Wave 96% 95% 91% 92% 96% 94% Year 11 89% 80% 80% 76% 94% 87% Year 12 92% 91% 92% 93% 92% 88% HE yr1 54% 32% 36% 21% 42% 39% HE yr1 20% 19% 12% 6% 15% 33% HE yr1 47% 52% 42% 29% 39% 32% HE yr1 82% 81% 76% 74% 83% 81% HE yr1
“Society should ensure that all children and young people receive the support they need in order to make a fulfilling transi9on to adulthood” info@lkmco.org -‐ +44(0)7793 370459 -‐ @LKMco – www.lkmco.org.uk
What to make of it? • This is only simple analysis. Can’t look at ethnicity in isolaKon because effect of ethnicity cross-‐cuts with gender and class • But… aspiraKons to enter HE don’t appear to be the key to the parKcipaKon problem for BAME young people • Instead: – What forms of IAG do young people use? • LSYPE indicates that Black Caribbean, Black African, Pakistani and Bangladeshi young people, who are underrepresented in Russell Group universiKes, were the most likely to use Connexions (before it was axed) • For all ethnic groups, ‘friends and relaKves’ is by far the most popular source of IAG. So… important to target WP efforts (parKcularly informaKon) at parents and family, alongside young people themselves?
“Society should ensure that all children and young people receive the support they need in order to make a fulfilling transi9on to adulthood” info@lkmco.org -‐ +44(0)7793 370459 -‐ @LKMco – www.lkmco.org.uk