Wider university admissions call

English universities should make their admissions fairer but should not be in the business of "social engineering", a government taskforce has said.

The taskforce, led by Brunel University vice-chancellor, Steven Schwartz, said all applicants should be given the chance to show their potential.

But they must be assessed individually and not because of their backgrounds.

Where extra tests were felt to be needed they should ideally be in a common format, it said.

A-levels 'best predictor'

This is the taskforce's second interim report, on which people are being invited to comment before it produces final proposals later in the year.

We are about finding hidden talent Steven Schwartz

It says everyone agrees students should be chosen on merit - the problem is defining "merit".

It repeats that A-levels remain the best indicator of how well someone will do as an undergraduate.

But it quotes research suggesting that students from fee-paying schools appeared to do less well than students from other schools and colleges, "all other things being equal".

For the most selective universities, students from state schools did "consistently better" than similar students from independent schools.

Disrupted schooling

So the taskforce concluded that "equal examination grades do not necessarily represent equal potential".

'SCHWARTZ PRINCIPLES' Transparent admissions policy and procedures Reliable and valid assessment methods Students able to complete courses judged by achievements and potential Minimise barriers for applicants High quality, efficient, professional process

The effect of social background on attainment began by the age of two.

Many applicants might have responsibilities at home or at work, or interrupted schooling.

Prof Schwartz gave the example of a girl who had always achieved A grades at school but whose father died shortly before her A-levels.

For financial reasons her mother moved to another area - and her A-level grades were below the As she had been expected to get.

He said 86% of respondents to the taskforce's first consultation agreed such things should be taken into account.

Seeking excellence

But its new report said this needed to be on an individual basis - it did not want "to bias admissions in favour of applicants from certain backgrounds or schools".

A diverse student community is likely to enhance all students' skills Taskforce report

"It is not the task of higher education admissions to compensate for educational or social disadvantage," its report said.

And it was "perfectly legitimate for admissions staff to seek out the most academically excellent students".

Ability to complete the course - as opposed to filling available places - "must be an essential criterion for admission".

Where additional tests were felt necessary to distinguish between the best candidates, the taskforce welcomed and encouraged the trend towards common tests - such as the LMat for law courses and BMat for medical and veterinary schools.

It also welcomed a UK pilot of an American-style Scholastic Aptitude Test or other similar tests.

Tomlinson review

But it was wary of adding to the burden of assessment.

So in the longer term, it hoped Mike Tomlinson's review of 14 to 19 qualifications, with its planned diploma, would produce a broader qualification showing "aptitude, potential and relevant skills in addition to academic achievement".

It also favours applications being made after students know their A-level results rather than on their predicted grades.

About half the predictions were wrong, tending to over-estimate how well people would do - "so it's almost a coin-toss," Prof Schwartz said.

He also called for greater professionalism among university admissions officers - with more centrally-provided information and training to help them do their jobs.

And he said the UK-wide Ucas application form could be made "less mysterious and opaque" by prompting applicants for the sort of information they were being asked to provide in their personal statement.