Failure to track students’ progress holding back efforts to widen access to higher education - Committee

The Committee has been reviewing the Government’s progress towards a target of students from the 20% most deprived backgrounds making up 20% of full-time, first-degree entrants to higher education by 2030.

Progress has been made over the last decade, with that figure rising from 13.7% in 2013-14 to 16.7% in 2020-21. However, since then the figure has fallen back to 16.3%. The Committee’s report identifies several probable causes for this slight decline, which were beyond the Scottish Government’s control, including the COVID-19 pandemic, however it also identifies student tracking as an issue.

Instigating a Unique Learner Number, or ULN, was recommended by the Commission for Widening Access in 2016. But, despite support from across the higher education sector, the current Commissioner for Fair Access and the Scottish Funding Council, the Committee was told that the work on ULNs had not progressed.

The Committee was told that a ULN would greatly improve the sector’s understanding of the education journeys of students and what works best for a student’s transition into higher education and what ongoing support they need.

Other approaches to widen access to higher education are identified in the Committee’s report, including taking greater steps to support disabled people, people from Black and Minority Ethnic groups and care experienced people, who can face additional barriers.

The Committee also calls for the Scottish Government to extend the remit of the Commissioner for Fair Access to include colleges to ensure prospective students benefit from fair access and appropriate support.

Douglas Ross MSP, Convener of the Education, Children and Young People Committee, said:

“The Scottish Government’s widening access targets remain achievable, but there are steps that it should take to ensure it achieves them.

“We were particularly disappointed to hear about the lack of progress made on Unique Learner Numbers. The Scottish Government must follow through with the recommendations made by its own previous reviews and start the process of introducing Unique Learner Numbers.

“We’ll be looking for updates from the Scottish Government on the recommendations in the report in the near future.”