Widening participation in higher education in the Covid-19 age: more urgent but more difficult

The inequalities which the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed in the harshest possible light – in infection and death rates, employment and also education – have made widening participation in higher education more urgent than ever before. But the pandemic, and the necessary public health restrictions needed to control its spread, have made that task more difficult. The attainment gap in schools is almost widening as teaching has moved online, exposing the ‘digital divide’ between rich and poor. Access courses and bridging programmes are harder to deliver online as they are designed not simply to remedy learning deficits but also break down cultural barriers. The almost complete closure of universities has left all students with a diminished experience, but the impact on students from more deprived social backgrounds have been hit hardest. This webinar is based on a survey of universities and colleges in Scotland between October and December 2020.