A Suffolk charity is leading an initiative to improve access to higher education across the county.
Ipswich and Suffolk Council for Racial Equality (ISCRE) has been commissioned by University of Suffolk’s Network for East Anglian Collaborative Outreach project to widen participation of children from less privileged backgrounds in post-secondary learning.
Earlier this year, ISCRE conducted some initial research with parents about the barriers they and their children face – with the findings incorporated into a report called ‘It Takes a Village to Raise a Child’.
The report highlighted a number of key issues including parental attitudes about the responsibility of teachers, the costs associated with higher education and institutionalised racism within parts of the education system.
On Saturday, June 2, ISCRE will present the findings of this report in more detail during an event called Take Your Place.
The event is aimed at openly discussing the barriers and possible solutions to ensuring fair and equal access for all young people regardless of age, gender, ethnic background, disabilities or sexual orientation.
Phanuel Mutumburi, ISCRE’s business and operations director, said: “Unequal access to higher education dismisses our society as a whole and wastes the talents of thousands of individuals across the country. We would urge as many people as possible to participate in this event, so that we can better identify practical ways in which these barriers to higher education can be dismantled.
“Based on both the report and what comes out of the Take Your Place event, we hope to create a manifesto listing the actions that need to be taken – and by whom - to improve access. This will be distributed to all of Suffolk’s higher learning institutions as a catalyst to shape our future working with them.”
Take Your Place runs from 11am to 1pm at Ipswich International Church in Burlington Road.
For further information, contact: phanuel@iscre.or.uk
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