§ 16. Mr. BarnesTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to increase participation in higher education. [14646]
§ Margaret HodgeOur programmes to raise standards in schools and colleges will have a major impact on increasing participation. Our new Aim Higher advertising campaign, together with the Excellence Challenge programme, will encourage more young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to enter HE. We are also encouraging Higher Education Institutions to introduce a range of measures to enable more people to participate in higher education including part-time learning and access programmes for mature students.