White Working Class Males in British Higher Education
“ You get into debt and you don ’ t know what will happen at the end of the three years . You hear about other people , like at work , that have done a university course and they find it difficult to get work in the subject they have done and so they have to do something different . They end up being overqualified and have to look at other careers .” --parent interviewee
Neither of my parents went so they ’ d be happy if I went . They think that I can do better than them .
It ’ s up to me what path I take , but I want to make my parents proud .
6 th Form participants ( FG3 ) also debated the impact of background on HE progression :
People do get messages from parents – if you live somewhere like Oxford or Winchester and are from a certain family then you ’ re going to go to the best universities . A similar pattern emerged in the focus groups with FE learners . Some learners felt that their parents encouraged them to go to university , others disagreed with this but in discussion it became clear that parents were encouraging them to study but they were adamant that the decision was theirs , for others the subject of university had just never really been discussed :
I just do what I want . They do have a view -- they ’ d want me to study better , but it ’ s my life . I ’ ll decide .
They want to see me do well but it ’ s up to me . They have their opinion but it ’ s up to me – I don ’ t know what they think .
Although limited data was collected from parents those interviewed were supportive of university as an option for their Son :
He is the first to even go to college from either my family or my husband ’ s family , university is all new to us . He will be the first in the family to go . I want for him what I never did .
And , although there was a general concern about the cost of studying and the possibility of incurring substantial debt without promise of a job the parents interviewed all felt they would encourage university if their Son ’ s desire was strong enough .
The research suggests that overall the majority of current learners feel relatively supported by their parents , although learners ( particularly those in post 16 education ) report that parental opinion is of no or little importance .
5.7 Advice and support
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It was evident from the focus groups that learners vary in their knowledge and understanding of different options open to them , including HE . The biggest difference appeared between the participants from a 6 th Form and those based in the FE college . The general consensus amongst the FE learners was that they had in the past received limited information or encouragement regarding progression towards HE and they identified this as a potential reason for their limited interest in university as an option :
You don ’ t really know anything about it and people don ’ t really go to something they don ’ t know about .