Commenting ahead of the publication of Outcome Agreements 2012/13, a Universities Scotland spokesperson said:
“Through their outcome agreements universities demonstrate the impact from Scotland’s public investment in higher education. The agreements show that all of Scotland’s universities either have, or will look to introduce, some form of contextualised admissions that takes account of an applicant’s circumstances and potential with the goal of promoting wider access to university. All university Principals are committed to widening access to pupils that have the academic potential to benefit and this is one way within universities’ control, to help achieve greater progress in this area.
“This positive step is about creating opportunities for a wider range of students to demonstrate their potential to benefit from a higher education. Contextual admissions is far more subtle than is often recognised. It is not about giving some students an advantage over others. It simply goes a small way towards balancing opportunities that have not been equal for all pupils throughout their schooling.
“There will be no one-size-fits-all contextual model. It will be up to universities to decide how to take this forward within their own institutions. Universities care deeply about the quality of the education they provide and this will remain paramount in decisions around admissions.”