Project launched to look at new ways of involving student mothers in higher education
Professor Claire Callender and Professor Sue Jackson from Birkbeck, University of London have been awarded a grant by the Nuffield Foundation to explore innovative HE courses designed for student parents.
Professor Claire Callender and Professor Sue Jackson from Birkbeck, University of London have been awarded a grant by the Nuffield Foundation to explore innovative HE courses designed for student parents.
The study aims to inform broader policy debates about part-time HE provision targeted at parents:
- The first programme to be examined is Birkbeck’s part-time Certificate of Higher Education Introductory Studies programmes, offered in Sure Start centres in areas of low participation in HE.
- The second programme, provided by the Open University, offers parents distance learning ‘Openings’ courses through its Community Partnership Programme at various children’s centres.
These courses are designed to make HE more accessible for parents, particularly those who are unlikely to enter HE through traditional routes.