Problems of securing equal access to higher education: The dilemma between equality and excellence

In the last few years higher education has undergone a thorough reassessment. In the classical liberal philosophy of equality of opportunity, education was regarded as the chief instrument for bringing about equality of life chances. Free access to further education and the provision of more places with the purpose of increasing participation were conceived as the main policy instruments for achieving equality of opportunity. Nevertheless, imbalances between social strata tended to remain in spite of increased participation. Research has contributed to increased sophistication and the realisation of a series of equalisation incompatibilities.The formal education system exists to impart competence considered to be of value both to the individual and society. Some enter the system better equipped than others, initial differences tend to increase instead of being levelled out. At the core of any admissions policy are the criteria of access. Cognitive differences account for only half or less of differences in educational attainments. Attitudes, aspirations and motivation are also of importance and explain a large portion of the social imbalances that remain after the removal of more tangible factors. Different combinations of criteria in varying degrees achieve equality of access.The question is raised whether in a mass system of higher education one would have to consider a dual admissions procedure to preserve the academic core system, i.e. graduate studies and research.Invited address to the Third International Conference on Higher Education, University of Lancaster, England, September, 1975.