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Asian students win more places than white peers in UK universities

28 per cent of UK students were from ethnic minority backgrounds during last academic year. (Photo by Peter Summers/Getty Images)

By: Sattwik Biswal

THE number of Asian students including men and women winning university places across the UK has risen by 26 per cent and 39 per cent respectively.

On the other hand, the number of white students getting into degree courses has almost fallen 10 per cent compared to 2014. Moreover, figures show the number of white male students has fallen from 127,330 in 2020 to 127,250 this year.

The disparity has been revealed by analysis of figures from admissions service UCAS by The Mail on Sunday (12).

Within a month of A-level results, a record number of 448,080 UK students are scheduled to start degree courses this autumn, the numbers are up from 441,720 last year.

In an earlier report this year, MPs found white children in free school meals, especially boys consistently underperform compared with with other ethnic groups.

According to figures, just 13 per cent of white working-class boys go on to higher education. The Education Select Committee’s report says these children had been failed by decades of neglect.

Oxford University chemistry professor Peter Edwards, said the UCAS figures highlight a pattern of underachievement. “These young people see the continuing special dispensations such as quotas aimed at other groups who are, in fact, consistently outperforming white working-class males,” he said.

He added: “I have seen the real distaste and disdain of academics for the mores of the white working-class male. These young people have much to contribute and their ambitions must now be rekindled. My concern is that their sense of feeling forgotten at the expense of other groups will lead to grave societal problems.”

“Successive governments have failed these kids,” said professor Matthew Goodwin, from Kent University. “Everybody has become obsessed about every disadvantaged group except this one. Something has to change and Boris Johnson should be doing far more to level up these kids.”

The Department for Education has said: “We have made real progress in supporting more young people from disadvantaged backgrounds into higher education with record numbers earning a place at university this year, but we know there is more to do.

“Ensuring everyone has the opportunity to access a world-class education remains a priority, and we expect universities to do all they can to help disadvantaged students.”