Let gifted students swap universities, says Lord Rees
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Students from disadvantaged backgrounds should be able to swap universities after two years and transfer to a Russell Group institution if they show talent, according to one of the country's top scientists.
The radical plan will be outlined in a pamphlet to be published on Monday by Lord Rees, the Astronomer Royal and a former master of Trinity College, Cambridge.The idea is based on a successful scheme run by the University of California in the United States, which aims to give a "second chance" to students who fluff their chances of getting a top university place the first time round.
Yesterday Lord Rees urged all the universities in the Russell Group – which represents 24 of the country's top research institutions, including Oxford and Cambridge – to hold back places for students who wanted to transfer after two years. He argued it would take time to transform failing schools, so the scheme "would give a second chance to people who were not so successful at their secondary school".
"I think the elite universities should reserve some of the places for people who have come not directly from school but from elsewhere," he said.
Lord Rees added that in the Californian model "a large number of those who attend the 'elite' universities [such as Berkeley and UCLA] have come not directly from high school but from a lower-tier institution".
He argued that students should be given credits for the two years they spend at their first institution, which could then be transferred to their new degree course.
Lord Rees, who was speaking to Politeia – the think-tank that is publishing his pamphlet – also added that it "should not be regarded as disgraceful" if students dropped out of their degree courses after two years.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments